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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 116 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. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a city
  2. pop — music
  3. rock — music
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. rock — a stone
  8. pop — soda
  9. capital — money
  10. pop — to visit
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. lean — to bend
  15. bound — obliged
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. mark — a grade
  19. lean — thin
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. mark — a trace
  22. bound — tied together
  23. bound — certain
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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