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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 · mate · bound · pitcher · content · branch · object · capital

  1. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. mate — a friend
  3. content — the amount
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. capital — a city
  6. object — an aim
  7. bound — obliged
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. object — a thing
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. object — to protest
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. branch — a division
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. mate — to breed
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. bound — certain
  20. mate — a partner
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. content — happy
  23. capital — money
  24. pitcher — a jug

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