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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: cue · court · capital · bat · press · pass · ruler · charge

  1. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. capital — money
  3. cue — a hint
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. press — to push
  9. charge — a price
  10. press — a publisher
  11. court — for sport
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. charge — in control
  15. cue — a signal
  16. cue — for pool
  17. court — of law
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. capital — a city
  20. bat — the animal
  21. court — of a king
  22. press — newspapers
  23. charge — electricity
  24. pass — a permit

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