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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: ball · perch · ruler · march · fine · capital · nail · tube

  1. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. tube — a container
  5. march — the month
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. march — music
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. march — the month
  10. capital — a city
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. ball — a dance
  14. perch — the fish
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. tube — the underground
  19. ball — a great time
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. capital — money
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. fine — all right
  24. capital — a big letter

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