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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: mouse · root · capital · press · bass · spell · bound · fork

  1. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a city
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. bound — tied together
  5. spell — a short time
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. fork — in a road
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. root — of a word
  10. root — of a plant
  11. press — to push
  12. bass — the fish
  13. bound — obliged
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. bound — certain
  16. press — a publisher
  17. root — the cause
  18. spell — letters
  19. spell — magic
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. bass — low music
  23. capital — money
  24. press — newspapers

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