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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. capital — a city
  3. pop — to visit
  4. capital — money
  5. bound — certain
  6. bank — for money
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. suit — clothes
  9. pop — soda
  10. bank — of a river
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. pound — a weight
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. bound — tied together
  15. current — of water
  16. current — electric
  17. pop — music
  18. bank — for money
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. suit — to fit
  21. toast — bread
  22. bound — obliged
  23. current — happening now
  24. pound — to hit hard

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