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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · pound · foot · rest · capital · staff · spring · jam

  1. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. spring — a coil
  3. bound — tied together
  4. rest — what's left
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. staff — employees
  7. capital — a city
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. bound — certain
  11. staff — employees
  12. spring — of water
  13. foot — a measure
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. capital — money
  16. pound — a weight
  17. spring — the season
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. rest — a break
  20. bound — obliged
  21. rest — what's left
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. staff — a stick
  24. capital — a big letter

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