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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: patient · plane · bound · can · band · capital · toast · suit

  1. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. can — to be able to
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. band — a ring
  7. band — a music group
  8. plane — a tool
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. suit — clothes
  11. bound — tied together
  12. bound — certain
  13. suit — in cards
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. suit — to fit
  17. capital — money
  18. capital — a city
  19. can — a tin
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. toast — bread
  24. can — a tin

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