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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 116 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: mug · pass · tear · track · ruler · spell · capital · trunk

  1. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. track — to keep track
  3. pass — a permit
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. capital — a city
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. track — a path
  8. capital — money
  9. mug — a cup
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. tear — from crying
  12. spell — letters
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. tear — to rip
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. spell — a short time
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. track — a song
  19. tear — from crying
  20. spell — magic
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. mug — to rob
  24. ruler — a monarch

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