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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 · foot · capital · ruler · dip · present · perch · bowl

  1. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a city
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. bound — obliged
  4. present — the time now
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. present — a gift
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. perch — the fish
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. foot — a measure
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. bound — certain
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. dip — to sink
  17. present — there
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. bound — tied together
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. capital — money

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