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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: dip · capital · file · wax · court · rule · suit · bowl

  1. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. dip — to sink
  3. court — of a king
  4. suit — to fit
  5. file — a document
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. court — for sport
  9. suit — clothes
  10. file — a tool
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. court — of law
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. capital — a city
  15. capital — money
  16. suit — in cards
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. rule — a law
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. file — a line of people
  24. wax — to grow

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