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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 · roll · toast · pitcher · trunk · ruler · content · file

  1. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. file — a line of people
  4. toast — bread
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. roll — a cake
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. file — a tool
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. content — happy
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. capital — money
  19. file — a document
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. content — the amount
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. capital — a city
  24. trunk — of a car

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