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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
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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: wind · current · court · bass · ruler · capital · foot · ball

  1. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. wind — moving air
  4. current — happening now
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. wind — moving air
  8. capital — money
  9. court — for sport
  10. current — of water
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. ball — a great time
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. court — of law
  15. bass — low music
  16. current — electric
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. ball — a dance
  19. capital — a city
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. court — of a king
  23. foot — a measure
  24. bass — the fish

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