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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: date · swing · ruler · stem · capital · scale · wind · coach

  1. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. capital — a city
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. scale — size or range
  8. swing — music
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. swing — to play on
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. date — the fruit
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. wind — moving air
  17. swing — in golf
  18. capital — money
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. wind — moving air
  21. scale — in music
  22. stem — to come from
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. scale — for weighing

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