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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: trunk · capital · suit · fork · staff · ruler · content · wax

  1. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. content — happy
  2. fork — in a road
  3. staff — a stick
  4. capital — a city
  5. staff — employees
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. capital — money
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. staff — employees
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. suit — clothes
  14. wax — to grow
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. suit — in cards
  19. content — the amount
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. suit — to fit

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