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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 120 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 · straw · board · capital · firm · tube · sharp · patient

  1. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. firm — steady
  4. bound — certain
  5. bound — tied together
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. firm — a company
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. capital — a city
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. tube — a container
  16. board — to get on
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. tube — the underground
  19. firm — decided
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. bound — obliged
  23. sharp — clever
  24. board — a committee

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