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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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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: squash · bass · ruler · toast · bank · capital · jam · rule

  1. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. capital — a city
  3. toast — bread
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. bank — for money
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. squash — the sport
  10. rule — a law
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. capital — money
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. squash — to crush
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. rule — government
  19. bass — low music
  20. bass — the fish
  21. bank — of a river
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. bank — for money
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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