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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: capital · can · prune · bound · dip · mug · file · object

  1. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. file — a tool
  3. bound — certain
  4. can — to be able to
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. bound — tied together
  7. can — a tin
  8. prune — to trim
  9. capital — money
  10. can — a tin
  11. file — a line of people
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. prune — to trim
  14. mug — a cup
  15. mug — to rob
  16. capital — a city
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. dip — to sink
  20. file — a document
  21. object — a thing
  22. object — to protest
  23. bound — obliged
  24. mug — a face

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