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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: fine · game · bound · object · rock · deal · mate · capital

  1. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. capital — a city
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. rock — music
  6. deal — to handle
  7. bound — certain
  8. mate — a partner
  9. game — wild animals
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. rock — a stone
  12. fine — all right
  13. capital — money
  14. game — a match
  15. object — an aim
  16. bound — tied together
  17. mate — to breed
  18. mate — a friend
  19. object — a thing
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. bound — obliged
  22. fine — high quality
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. object — to protest

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