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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: ruler · mug · track · fine · firm · capital · branch · content

  1. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. content — happy
  2. firm — a company
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. mug — a face
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. track — to keep track
  9. content — the amount
  10. track — a path
  11. branch — a division
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. firm — decided
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. firm — steady
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. mug — to rob
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. track — a song
  20. capital — money
  21. mug — a cup
  22. fine — all right
  23. capital — a city
  24. fine — high quality

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