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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: ruler · roll · mine · capital · court · bulb · object · snap

  1. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. court — for sport
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. object — an aim
  9. mine — for digging
  10. roll — a cake
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. bulb — for light
  13. snap — to click
  14. bulb — for light
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. capital — a city
  17. court — of law
  18. court — of a king
  19. object — a thing
  20. capital — money
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. roll — a list
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. object — to protest

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