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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: march · capital · cell · bass · track · ruler · deal · bound

  1. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. capital — a city
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. cell — in biology
  6. cell — a phone
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. march — the month
  9. track — a song
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. bound — tied together
  14. bound — obliged
  15. bass — low music
  16. march — music
  17. capital — money
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. bass — the fish
  20. track — to keep track
  21. march — the month
  22. bound — certain
  23. track — a path
  24. bass — the instrument

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