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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · last · rule · capital · plane · field · bank · pitcher

  1. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. last — finally
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. last — to go on
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. field — farmland
  7. plane — a tool
  8. capital — money
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. last — final
  11. bank — of a river
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. rule — government
  14. rule — a law
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. field — a subject
  17. bank — for money
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. capital — a city
  23. bank — for money
  24. field — for sport

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