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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 · mouse · capital · bound · hand · pit · wake · bore

  1. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. bound — tied together
  3. pit — in a race
  4. pit — a hole
  5. bore — to tire
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. hand — in cards
  12. bound — obliged
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. capital — a city
  18. bore — to drill
  19. wake — a trail
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. bound — certain
  22. hand — help
  23. toast — bread
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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