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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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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 · dip · rule · chest · cap · craft · stand · ruler

  1. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. dip — to sink
  3. cap — of ice
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. capital — money
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. chest — of your body
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. craft — a skill
  10. stand — to bear
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. rule — a law
  15. craft — boats
  16. chest — of your body
  17. cap — a hat
  18. chest — a box
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. capital — a city
  22. cap — a lid
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. stand — on your feet

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