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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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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: roll · bound · wake · key · capital · wind · bay · chip

  1. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. bound — certain
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. key — in music
  6. roll — a cake
  7. capital — a city
  8. roll — a list
  9. key — for a lock
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. key — the most important part
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. capital — money
  16. chip — to eat
  17. wind — moving air
  18. bound — tied together
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. wake — a trail
  21. bound — obliged
  22. wind — moving air
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. chip — for betting

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