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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: capital · club · stand · date · pitcher · ruler · tear · lie

  1. He is an ace ________________.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. club — for golf
  7. stand — to bear
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. tear — from crying
  10. club — for dancing
  11. capital — a city
  12. lie — to recline
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. tear — from crying
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. tear — to rip
  20. club — a group
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. capital — money
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. date — the fruit

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