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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. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. bound — tied together
  4. squash — the sport
  5. band — a ring
  6. bound — certain
  7. track — a song
  8. track — to keep track
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. mine — for digging
  13. rock — a stone
  14. mark — a trace
  15. track — a path
  16. band — a music group
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. capital — a city
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. squash — to crush
  22. bound — obliged
  23. mark — a grade
  24. rock — music

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