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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: ruler · mark · jam · spell · stand · land · capital · board

  1. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. land — ground
  3. spell — letters
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. capital — money
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. board — to get on
  9. stand — to bear
  10. land — a country
  11. land — to come down
  12. capital — a city
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. mark — a trace
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. spell — magic
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. board — a committee
  23. spell — a short time
  24. jam — in traffic

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