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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: capital · jam · mate · suit · stem · court · ruler · mark

  1. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. capital — a city
  4. court — for sport
  5. mate — a friend
  6. suit — clothes
  7. court — of a king
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. capital — money
  11. court — of law
  12. mark — a trace
  13. suit — to fit
  14. mark — a grade
  15. mate — to breed
  16. mate — a partner
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. stem — to come from
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. jam — a tight spot

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com