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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: lash · suit · capital · ruler · court · scale · firm · fine

  1. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a city
  2. firm — decided
  3. scale — size or range
  4. court — of a king
  5. suit — in cards
  6. fine — high quality
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. court — for sport
  11. suit — to fit
  12. fine — all right
  13. court — of law
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. capital — money
  19. firm — steady
  20. firm — a company
  21. scale — in music
  22. suit — clothes
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. scale — for weighing

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