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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: ruler · fan · capital · bowl · key · bound

  1. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. bound — certain
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. bound — obliged
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. key — the most important part
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. capital — a city
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. key — for a lock
  14. key — in music
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. bound — tied together
  17. capital — money
  18. bowl — to roll

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