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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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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: root · bore · press · capital · sharp · bound

  1. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. press — a publisher
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. root — the cause
  5. press — newspapers
  6. bore — to tire
  7. bound — obliged
  8. bound — tied together
  9. capital — money
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. root — of a plant
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. bound — certain
  14. bore — to drill
  15. press — to push
  16. root — of a word
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. capital — a city

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