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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: track · bear · staff · bat · straw · ruler · temple · capital

  1. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. track — a song
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. bear — the animal
  5. track — a path
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. staff — employees
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. staff — a stick
  13. capital — money
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. track — to keep track
  16. staff — employees
  17. capital — a city
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. bat — the animal
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. ruler — for measuring

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