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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 116 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: drill · bass · capital · bound · cell · bay · nail · cue

  1. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. drill — army training
  5. cue — a hint
  6. cell — in biology
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. cue — a signal
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. drill — a practice
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. bound — obliged
  13. bass — low music
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. cell — a phone
  16. capital — a city
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. cue — for pool
  19. bass — the fish
  20. bound — tied together
  21. capital — money
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. drill — the tool
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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