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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 120 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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: rock · file · net · capital · fall · ruler · charge · pitcher

  1. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. capital — a city
  7. fall — to drop
  8. net — for catching
  9. file — a line of people
  10. file — a tool
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. charge — a price
  13. file — a document
  14. charge — in control
  15. rock — a stone
  16. charge — electricity
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. net — in sport
  19. net — after costs
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. fall — the season
  22. capital — money
  23. rock — music
  24. ruler — for measuring

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