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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.

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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 · bat · pitcher · capital · date · bear · bass · fork

  1. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  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. pitcher — a jug
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. bear — the animal
  6. bear — the animal
  7. bat — the animal
  8. bass — the fish
  9. fork — in a road
  10. capital — a city
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. date — the fruit
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. bass — low music
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. capital — a big letter
  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