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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.

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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 · fork · last · land · scale · swing · ruler · bore

  1. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. swing — music
  4. fork — in a road
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. last — final
  8. capital — money
  9. scale — in music
  10. swing — in golf
  11. bore — to tire
  12. last — finally
  13. bore — to drill
  14. scale — size or range
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. land — a country
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. last — to go on
  19. capital — a city
  20. land — ground
  21. land — to come down
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. swing — to play on
  24. bore — gave birth

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