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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: bulb · kid · ruler · fine · chair · pass · plane · capital

  1. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. pass — a permit
  4. chair — a leader
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. plane — a tool
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. fine — all right
  12. fine — high quality
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. kid — child
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. capital — a city
  18. kid — to tease
  19. bulb — for light
  20. bulb — for light
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. capital — money
  24. pass — to succeed

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