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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: toast · roll · bass · straw · capital · bank · bound · ruler

  1. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. bank — for money
  4. bound — tied together
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. roll — a cake
  10. bass — low music
  11. roll — a list
  12. bass — the fish
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. bank — of a river
  15. capital — a city
  16. toast — bread
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. bound — obliged
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. bound — certain
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. bank — for money

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