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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
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. bass — low music
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. bass — the fish
  6. degree — an amount
  7. rest — what's left
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. rest — a break
  11. capital — money
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. degree — from a university
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. capital — a city
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. perch — the fish
  18. rest — what's left
  19. degree — temperature
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. roll — a list
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. roll — a cake
  24. ruler — for measuring

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