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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: toast · foot · bound · capital · straw · deal · last · stick

  1. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. toast — bread
  3. last — final
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. last — finally
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. capital — money
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. capital — a city
  13. bound — tied together
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. bound — certain
  20. last — to go on
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. deal — to handle
  23. bound — obliged
  24. foot — part of the body

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