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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: object · leaves · roll · can · bear · capital · band · sharp

  1. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. roll — a cake
  3. can — a tin
  4. capital — a city
  5. can — to be able to
  6. object — a thing
  7. bear — the animal
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. capital — money
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. can — a tin
  16. band — a music group
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. object — to protest
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. band — a ring
  21. bear — the animal
  22. roll — a list
  23. object — an aim
  24. leaves — to go away

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