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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: bound · capital · racket · current · pop · ground · cabinet · jam

  1. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. pop — soda
  3. capital — a city
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. pop — music
  6. pop — to visit
  7. bound — tied together
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. ground — crushed
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. current — of water
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. ground — a position
  19. current — happening now
  20. current — electric
  21. bound — obliged
  22. ground — the earth
  23. bound — certain
  24. racket — for tennis

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