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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: capital · can · bay · cabinet · bound · present · fine · ground

  1. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. present — the time now
  3. present — a gift
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. can — a tin
  6. bound — certain
  7. fine — high quality
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. present — there
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. ground — crushed
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. capital — money
  16. ground — the earth
  17. bound — tied together
  18. capital — a city
  19. can — a tin
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. fine — all right
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. bound — obliged
  24. ground — a position

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