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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 120 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: capital · ruler · clip · foot · race · track · bound · bore

  1. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  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 — for measuring
  2. clip — to cut
  3. bound — obliged
  4. track — a path
  5. bore — to drill
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. bore — to tire
  8. bound — tied together
  9. race — humankind
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. race — a contest
  13. track — to keep track
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. clip — for paper
  16. track — a song
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. clip — a video
  19. capital — a city
  20. foot — a measure
  21. bound — certain
  22. capital — money
  23. race — the arms race
  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