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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: tear · capital · track · fall · ruler · bound · leaves · pitch

  1. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. bound — tied together
  3. capital — a city
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. track — to keep track
  6. bound — obliged
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. tear — to rip
  9. track — a song
  10. pitch — completely
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. tear — from crying
  14. tear — from crying
  15. fall — to drop
  16. capital — money
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. fall — to drop
  23. track — a path
  24. bound — certain

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