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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.

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: date · coach · squash · cap · fan · bound · staff · capital

  1. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. cap — a lid
  3. staff — employees
  4. squash — to crush
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. capital — a city
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. cap — a hat
  11. staff — a stick
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. squash — the sport
  17. date — the fruit
  18. bound — certain
  19. cap — of ice
  20. staff — employees
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. bound — tied together
  23. capital — money
  24. date — on the calendar

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