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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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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: ruler · capital · chair · safe · stick · branch · swing · current

  1. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a city
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. swing — music
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. current — of water
  8. current — electric
  9. branch — a division
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. swing — in golf
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. capital — money
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. chair — a leader
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. swing — to play on
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. current — happening now

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