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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. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. capital — money
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. bound — tied together
  6. rash — hasty
  7. rash — a series
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. bound — obliged
  10. ground — a position
  11. capital — a city
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. branch — a division
  17. last — to go on
  18. ground — crushed
  19. bound — certain
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. last — finally
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. last — final
  24. ground — the earth

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