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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: mug · stick · bound · straw · capital · squash · rock · key

  1. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. squash — to crush
  5. squash — the sport
  6. capital — money
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. key — for a lock
  12. key — the most important part
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. bound — certain
  15. capital — a city
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. mug — to rob
  18. rock — music
  19. key — in music
  20. mug — a face
  21. rock — a stone
  22. bound — tied together
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. mug — a cup

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