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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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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. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. can — a tin
  3. capital — a city
  4. rest — what's left
  5. capital — money
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. can — a tin
  9. can — to be able to
  10. stand — to bear
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. rest — what's left
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. bound — certain
  20. foot — a measure
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. bound — obliged
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. rest — a break

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