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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: cap · club · wind · content · ruler · pass

  1. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. cap — of ice
  5. club — a group
  6. pass — a permit
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. club — for golf
  9. club — for dancing
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. cap — a hat
  12. cap — a lid
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. content — happy
  15. wind — moving air
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. content — the amount

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