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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 120 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. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. bound — obliged
  4. capital — money
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. court — of law
  7. bound — certain
  8. court — for sport
  9. capital — a city
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. lie — to recline
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. pit — in a race
  14. field — farmland
  15. rock — music
  16. field — a subject
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. field — for sport
  19. lean — thin
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. lean — to bend
  22. rock — a stone
  23. pit — a hole
  24. court — of a king

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