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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: trunk · rest · capital · fork · pass · swing · ground · bound

  1. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. rest — what's left
  3. bound — obliged
  4. capital — a city
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. capital — money
  7. fork — in a road
  8. swing — music
  9. ground — the earth
  10. swing — to play on
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. ground — crushed
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. ground — a position
  15. swing — in golf
  16. rest — what's left
  17. bound — tied together
  18. bound — certain
  19. rest — a break
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. pass — a permit

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