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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: tube · spell · fork · staff · prune · capital · bound · bass

  1. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. bass — the fish
  3. fork — in a road
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. prune — to trim
  6. staff — a stick
  7. spell — a short time
  8. bound — tied together
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. staff — employees
  11. capital — money
  12. tube — the underground
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. bass — low music
  18. staff — employees
  19. spell — magic
  20. spell — letters
  21. bound — obliged
  22. tube — a container
  23. prune — to trim
  24. capital — a city

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