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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.

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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: bat · chip · capital · suit · ruler · cell · rush · fall

  1. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. fall — the season
  3. fall — to drop
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. bat — the animal
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. cell — in biology
  8. capital — money
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. cell — a phone
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. capital — a city
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. suit — in cards
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. chip — to eat
  18. suit — clothes
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. suit — to fit
  21. rush — hurry
  22. chip — for betting
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. fall — to drop

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