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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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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: ruler · jam · content · capital · race · mug

  1. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. mug — a cup
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. capital — money
  6. mug — a face
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. content — happy
  10. capital — a city
  11. race — humankind
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. race — the arms race
  17. content — the amount
  18. mug — to rob

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