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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 120 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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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: plane · tube · bowl · stand · kid · ruler · firm · capital

  1. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. firm — a company
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. capital — a city
  8. plane — a tool
  9. firm — steady
  10. tube — the underground
  11. capital — money
  12. kid — to tease
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. stand — to bear
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. kid — child
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. tube — a container
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. bowl — a dish

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