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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. bound — tied together
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. stand — to bear
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. bound — certain
  8. net — after costs
  9. drill — the tool
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. board — to get on
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. bank — for money
  14. capital — a city
  15. drill — a practice
  16. board — a committee
  17. drill — army training
  18. net — in sport
  19. bank — for money
  20. bound — obliged
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. bank — of a river
  23. net — for catching
  24. kick — in football

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