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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.

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: pitcher · rule · rash · drill · land · board · lean · capital

  1. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. rash — a series
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. board — to get on
  5. lean — thin
  6. drill — the tool
  7. capital — a city
  8. land — ground
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. drill — a practice
  11. rule — government
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. board — a committee
  14. drill — army training
  15. land — a country
  16. land — to come down
  17. lean — to bend
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. capital — money
  21. rash — hasty
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. rule — a law

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