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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: mug · sharp · bear · present · capital · ball · wave · bound

  1. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. bear — the animal
  3. mug — a cup
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. bound — certain
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. capital — money
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. present — a gift
  10. mug — a face
  11. present — there
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. capital — a city
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. bear — the animal
  16. bound — tied together
  17. mug — to rob
  18. bound — obliged
  19. ball — a great time
  20. sharp — clever
  21. present — the time now
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. ball — a dance

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