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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 116 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: can · swing · ruler · capital · bear · wound · stick · hand

  1. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  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. capital — a big letter
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. can — a tin
  5. swing — music
  6. bear — the animal
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. capital — a city
  9. wound — an injury
  10. hand — in cards
  11. bear — the animal
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. wound — an injury
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. can — a tin
  18. can — to be able to
  19. capital — money
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. swing — to play on
  22. hand — help
  23. swing — in golf
  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