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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 116 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: key · ruler · rule · current · lean · capital · rash · fork

  1. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a city
  2. current — happening now
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. key — in music
  6. key — for a lock
  7. lean — to bend
  8. fork — in a road
  9. rule — government
  10. key — the most important part
  11. capital — money
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. current — electric
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. rash — hasty
  16. rash — a series
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. rule — a law
  21. current — of water
  22. lean — thin
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. ruler — a monarch

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