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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: file · ball · mark · saw · pound · hand · capital · ruler

  1. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. ball — a great time
  5. capital — money
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. ball — a dance
  8. file — a tool
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. file — a document
  12. saw — the tool
  13. mark — a grade
  14. hand — help
  15. pound — a weight
  16. file — a line of people
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. capital — a city
  20. hand — in cards
  21. mark — a trace
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. ruler — for measuring
  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