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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: capital · content · nail · saw · pass · track · fork · ruler

  1. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. content — happy
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. track — a path
  6. saw — the tool
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. fork — in a road
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. track — to keep track
  13. saw — the tool
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. content — the amount
  17. capital — money
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. track — a song
  22. capital — a city
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. nail — on a finger

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