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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 120 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: last · bore · ruler · rush · pitch · bear · capital · content

  1. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. bore — to tire
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. rush — hurry
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. pitch — completely
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. bore — to drill
  9. last — final
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. capital — a city
  13. bear — the animal
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. capital — money
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. content — happy
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. last — to go on
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. last — finally
  24. bear — the animal

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