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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.

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: firm · suit · march · ruler · roll · land · capital · arm

  1. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a city
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. roll — a list
  6. suit — clothes
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. march — music
  10. firm — steady
  11. march — the month
  12. land — a country
  13. march — the month
  14. land — to come down
  15. suit — to fit
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. suit — in cards
  18. roll — a cake
  19. firm — a company
  20. land — ground
  21. capital — money
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. firm — decided
  24. capital — a big letter

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