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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: pitcher · ruler · capital · bank · jam · row · track · pound

  1. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  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. ruler — a monarch
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. capital — money
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. bank — for money
  8. pound — a weight
  9. track — to keep track
  10. track — a song
  11. row — to paddle
  12. bank — of a river
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. bank — for money
  19. row — a line
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. capital — a city
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. track — a path
  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