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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. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. suit — to fit
  3. perch — the fish
  4. capital — a city
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. capital — money
  7. bound — certain
  8. bank — for money
  9. squash — the sport
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. bound — tied together
  12. squash — to crush
  13. bank — of a river
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. bound — obliged
  16. staff — employees
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. staff — a stick
  19. chair — a leader
  20. suit — in cards
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. bank — for money
  23. staff — employees
  24. suit — clothes

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