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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 116 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 · stock · coach · club · wind · capital · scale · can

  1. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. capital — a city
  5. club — for golf
  6. scale — in music
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. can — a tin
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. can — a tin
  12. stock — goods
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. wind — moving air
  16. wind — moving air
  17. scale — size or range
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. can — to be able to
  20. stock — shares
  21. club — for dancing
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. club — a group
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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