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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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. can — a tin
  8. wake — a trail
  9. bound — certain
  10. land — a country
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. capital — a city
  13. capital — money
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. bound — obliged
  16. can — a tin
  17. land — ground
  18. land — to come down
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. can — to be able to
  24. arm — part of the body

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