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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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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 · staff · fork · stick · wake · capital · charge · field

  1. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. field — farmland
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. charge — electricity
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. staff — employees
  7. capital — money
  8. staff — employees
  9. staff — a stick
  10. capital — a city
  11. charge — a price
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. fork — in a road
  15. field — for sport
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. wake — a trail
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. field — a subject
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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