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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: bank · pitch · capital · dip · bound · mug · mate · wound

  1. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. mug — a face
  3. wound — an injury
  4. pitch — completely
  5. bound — certain
  6. mug — to rob
  7. mate — to breed
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. bound — obliged
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. dip — to sink
  12. bank — for money
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. mate — a partner
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. capital — a city
  17. capital — money
  18. wound — an injury
  19. bank — of a river
  20. bound — tied together
  21. mate — a friend
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. bank — for money

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