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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.

Make a worksheet

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: mouse · ruler · bear · clip · cap · capital

  1. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. cap — a hat
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. clip — a video
  7. clip — for paper
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. cap — a lid
  12. cap — of ice
  13. capital — money
  14. bear — the animal
  15. capital — a city
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. clip — to cut
  18. bear — the animal

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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