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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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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 · band · capital · mark · toast · racket · mouse · bound

  1. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. toast — bread
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. capital — money
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. capital — a city
  9. bound — obliged
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. present — a gift
  12. band — a music group
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. mark — a grade
  15. band — a ring
  16. present — there
  17. bound — certain
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. mark — a trace
  23. present — the time now
  24. bound — tied together

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