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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: present · plane · saw · capital · can · bound · current · pitch

  1. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. capital — a city
  3. can — a tin
  4. current — electric
  5. bound — obliged
  6. bound — tied together
  7. saw — the tool
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. present — there
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. present — the time now
  14. current — of water
  15. pitch — completely
  16. can — to be able to
  17. bound — certain
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. plane — a tool
  21. saw — the tool
  22. can — a tin
  23. capital — money
  24. current — happening now

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