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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
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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: fine · coach · capital · ruler · net · mark · rash · leaves

  1. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. mark — a grade
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. rash — a series
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. fine — all right
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. capital — money
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. capital — a city
  16. net — in sport
  17. net — after costs
  18. mark — a trace
  19. net — for catching
  20. fine — high quality
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. ruler — for measuring

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