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

  1. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. capital — a city
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. capital — money
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. bank — for money
  9. bound — obliged
  10. bank — for money
  11. land — ground
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. bank — of a river
  16. track — a song
  17. land — a country
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. bound — certain
  20. bound — tied together
  21. land — to come down
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. track — to keep track

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