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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: march · ruler · bear · bass · capital · lean · cabinet · track

  1. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. capital — a city
  6. lean — to bend
  7. track — to keep track
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. track — a song
  11. march — music
  12. march — the month
  13. march — the month
  14. bear — the animal
  15. bear — the animal
  16. lean — thin
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. bass — low music
  20. track — a path
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. capital — money
  24. bass — the fish

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