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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: rule · pitcher · temple · capital · ruler · board · hand · mark

  1. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. capital — money
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. mark — a trace
  7. hand — in cards
  8. capital — a city
  9. board — to get on
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. rule — a law
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. mark — a grade
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. board — a committee
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. hand — help
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. hand — part of the body

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