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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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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: lean · mark · fork · wake · bound · capital · band · scale

  1. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. capital — money
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. scale — size or range
  5. band — a ring
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. mark — a trace
  8. lean — thin
  9. scale — in music
  10. fork — in a road
  11. mark — a grade
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. capital — a city
  17. band — a music group
  18. wake — a trail
  19. lean — to bend
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. bound — obliged
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. bound — tied together
  24. bound — certain

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