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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.

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: object · file · capital · dip · stock · ruler · trunk · rule

  1. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a city
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. capital — money
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. file — a line of people
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. dip — to sink
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. object — an aim
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. stock — goods
  15. rule — government
  16. file — a document
  17. object — to protest
  18. rule — a law
  19. stock — shares
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. file — a tool
  24. object — a thing

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