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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. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. bound — obliged
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. pop — music
  5. can — a tin
  6. ball — a dance
  7. wind — moving air
  8. sharp — clever
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. bank — of a river
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. can — to be able to
  13. can — a tin
  14. bank — for money
  15. wind — moving air
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. capital — a city
  18. bound — tied together
  19. bound — certain
  20. pop — soda
  21. ball — a great time
  22. pop — to visit
  23. capital — money
  24. bank — for money

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