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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: key · wax · cabinet · stock · capital · band · row · bound

  1. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. band — a ring
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. bound — obliged
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. stock — shares
  7. key — for a lock
  8. capital — a city
  9. wax — to grow
  10. bound — certain
  11. row — a line
  12. bound — tied together
  13. stock — goods
  14. row — to paddle
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. key — the most important part
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. capital — money
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. band — a music group
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. wax — in the ear

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