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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 120 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: race · leaves · suit · capital · band · game · squash · ruler

  1. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. race — a contest
  4. capital — a city
  5. suit — to fit
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. game — a match
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. band — a music group
  13. band — a ring
  14. squash — to crush
  15. squash — the sport
  16. capital — money
  17. race — humankind
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. race — the arms race
  20. suit — clothes
  21. suit — in cards
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. squash — the vegetable

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