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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. capital — a city
  3. ball — a great time
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. bank — for money
  6. bound — obliged
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. bank — of a river
  9. ball — a dance
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. deal — to handle
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. bank — for money
  18. fork — in a road
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. bound — certain
  21. bound — tied together
  22. wound — an injury
  23. capital — money
  24. wound — an injury

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