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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: stick · wind · mark · season · rule · capital · coach · ruler

  1. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. capital — a city
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. mark — a grade
  6. season — of the year
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. wind — moving air
  11. rule — a law
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. rule — government
  14. capital — money
  15. mark — a trace
  16. wind — moving air
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. season — in sport
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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