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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: rule · board · trunk · pitcher · craft · date · ruler · capital

  1. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a city
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. craft — boats
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. board — to get on
  12. rule — a law
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. capital — money
  16. date — the fruit
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. board — a committee
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. craft — a skill
  22. rule — government
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. pitcher — a jug

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