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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: fan · court · capital · stem · coach · ruler · jam · bound

  1. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. capital — a city
  9. bound — certain
  10. court — for sport
  11. capital — money
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. stem — to come from
  15. court — of a king
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. court — of law
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. bound — tied together
  24. stem — a stem cell

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