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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: capital · ruler · file · clip · key · pass · chest · jam

  1. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — to cut
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. file — a document
  4. clip — for paper
  5. clip — a video
  6. file — a tool
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. capital — a city
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. chest — of your body
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. chest — of your body
  15. key — in music
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. capital — money
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. key — the most important part
  20. key — for a lock
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. pass — a permit
  23. chest — a box
  24. file — a line of people

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