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

Word bank: ruler · drill · capital · content · wake · bay

  1. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. drill — the tool
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. drill — a practice
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. content — happy
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. capital — money
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. wake — a trail
  14. capital — a city
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. drill — army training
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. ruler — a monarch

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