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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.

Make a worksheet

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: cold · court · leaves · capital · ruler · plane · pitcher · object

  1. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. The water is too ________________.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. court — of a king
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. court — for sport
  7. capital — a city
  8. court — of law
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. object — to protest
  11. capital — money
  12. object — a thing
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. cold — an illness
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. object — an aim
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. cold — not warm
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. cold — the Cold War

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