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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: capital · mine · track · mate · firm · rule · stock · ruler

  1. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. rule — government
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. mate — to breed
  5. track — a song
  6. stock — shares
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. track — to keep track
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. rule — a law
  11. stock — goods
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. capital — money
  16. firm — steady
  17. firm — a company
  18. mine — for digging
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. mate — a partner
  21. firm — decided
  22. capital — a city
  23. track — a path
  24. mate — a friend

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