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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: net · bear · track · capital · fork · ruler · pitch · bass

  1. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. bear — the animal
  3. track — a song
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. capital — a city
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. track — a path
  8. pitch — completely
  9. track — to keep track
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. bear — the animal
  12. bass — the fish
  13. fork — in a road
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. net — for catching
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. capital — money
  22. bass — low music
  23. net — after costs
  24. ruler — for measuring

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