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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. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. bound — tied together
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. wake — a trail
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. bound — certain
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. bound — obliged
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. rock — a stone
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. spring — a coil
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. branch — a division
  18. rock — music
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. spring — the season
  22. spring — of water
  23. capital — a city
  24. arm — part of the body

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