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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
468
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: tube · fine · bound · perch · wave · bat · stand · capital

  1. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. capital — money
  5. fine — high quality
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. tube — the underground
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. bound — certain
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. tube — a container
  14. perch — the fish
  15. bound — tied together
  16. bat — the animal
  17. capital — a city
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. fine — all right
  22. stand — to bear
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. bat — in an idiom

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