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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: ruler · court · board · bay · capital · sharp · rock · chair

  1. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. court — of law
  4. capital — a city
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. rock — a stone
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. court — for sport
  12. sharp — clever
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. board — a committee
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. chair — a leader
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. court — of a king
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. capital — money
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. board — to get on

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