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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: plane · cold · land · suit · stick · fine · rule · capital

  1. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  3. The water is too ________________.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. cold — the Cold War
  3. cold — not warm
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. suit — clothes
  6. rule — government
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. plane — a tool
  11. land — ground
  12. land — a country
  13. fine — high quality
  14. suit — to fit
  15. rule — a law
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. capital — money
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. land — to come down
  20. fine — all right
  21. suit — in cards
  22. capital — a city
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. cold — an illness

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