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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: board · scale · capital · rash · court · ball · swing · rule

  1. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. rule — government
  3. capital — money
  4. scale — in music
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. court — of a king
  7. capital — a city
  8. rash — hasty
  9. rash — a series
  10. court — for sport
  11. board — to get on
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. ball — a dance
  14. rule — a law
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. swing — music
  19. board — a committee
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. court — of law
  22. swing — to play on
  23. scale — size or range
  24. ball — a great time

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