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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 116 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: bound · plane · key · firm · board · capital · spell · game

  1. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. board — to get on
  4. spell — letters
  5. spell — a short time
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. game — wild animals
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. game — a match
  12. bound — certain
  13. key — the most important part
  14. key — for a lock
  15. bound — obliged
  16. firm — decided
  17. firm — steady
  18. plane — a tool
  19. capital — a city
  20. bound — tied together
  21. capital — money
  22. firm — a company
  23. key — in music
  24. board — a committee

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