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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: spell · ruler · mug · stock · staff · capital · content · track

  1. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. staff — employees
  3. stock — goods
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. stock — shares
  6. staff — employees
  7. content — the amount
  8. capital — a city
  9. track — a path
  10. spell — letters
  11. spell — a short time
  12. mug — a cup
  13. mug — a face
  14. spell — magic
  15. mug — to rob
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. capital — money
  18. content — happy
  19. track — to keep track
  20. staff — a stick
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. track — a song
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. ruler — a monarch

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