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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: file · stand · capital · bound · leaves · hide · net · pitcher

  1. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. net — for catching
  3. capital — a city
  4. file — a tool
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. net — after costs
  12. net — in sport
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. capital — money
  15. file — a line of people
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. file — a document
  18. stand — to bear
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. bound — tied together
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. bound — certain
  24. pitcher — a jug

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