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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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. bound — certain
  5. lie — to recline
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. pop — to visit
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. rule — government
  10. capital — a city
  11. pop — music
  12. bound — tied together
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. wake — a trail
  16. pitch — completely
  17. pop — soda
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. bound — obliged
  20. rule — a law
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. capital — money
  24. lie — an untruth

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