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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 116 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 · plane · mine · deal · rash · capital · court · object

  1. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. rash — hasty
  3. plane — a tool
  4. capital — a city
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. court — for sport
  8. deal — to handle
  9. rash — a series
  10. bound — certain
  11. object — an aim
  12. mine — for digging
  13. object — a thing
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. object — to protest
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. court — of a king
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. bound — obliged
  21. capital — money
  22. court — of law
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. mine — belonging to me

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