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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: content · ruler · saw · capital · race · branch · prune · track

  1. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. content — the amount
  4. saw — the tool
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. race — a contest
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. track — to keep track
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. track — a path
  14. branch — a division
  15. prune — to trim
  16. saw — the tool
  17. race — humankind
  18. capital — a city
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. content — happy
  21. race — the arms race
  22. prune — to trim
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. capital — money

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