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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: stand · degree · craft · plane · band · capital · pit · ruler

  1. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a city
  2. degree — an amount
  3. pit — a hole
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. pit — in a race
  8. degree — from a university
  9. craft — a skill
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. band — a ring
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. craft — boats
  15. stand — to bear
  16. plane — a tool
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. capital — money
  19. band — a music group
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. degree — temperature
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. band — a rubber band

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