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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 116 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 · capital · trunk · swing · mug · mark · last · pound

  1. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. mug — to rob
  4. mug — a face
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. swing — in golf
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. mark — a grade
  11. pound — a weight
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. last — to go on
  14. capital — a city
  15. mark — a trace
  16. last — finally
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. mug — a cup
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. last — final
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. swing — to play on
  23. swing — music
  24. trunk — of a tree

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