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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: file · bound · kick · capital · press · fork · firm · nail

  1. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. bound — obliged
  3. press — newspapers
  4. bound — certain
  5. press — a publisher
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. firm — a company
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. file — a tool
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. file — a document
  15. fork — in a road
  16. capital — money
  17. press — to push
  18. file — a line of people
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. firm — decided
  22. firm — steady
  23. bound — tied together
  24. capital — a city

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