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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: bound · capital · net · mark · mate · branch · key · tube

  1. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. capital — money
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. net — in sport
  7. tube — the underground
  8. tube — a container
  9. mate — to breed
  10. net — after costs
  11. bound — obliged
  12. capital — a city
  13. key — the most important part
  14. bound — certain
  15. mark — a trace
  16. bound — tied together
  17. key — for a lock
  18. mark — a grade
  19. mate — a partner
  20. key — in music
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. branch — a division
  23. net — for catching
  24. mate — a friend

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