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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
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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: bound · firm · mine · capital · prune · toast · present · board

  1. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. toast — bread
  3. board — a committee
  4. prune — to trim
  5. present — there
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. capital — a city
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. bound — tied together
  10. prune — to trim
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. firm — decided
  13. present — the time now
  14. bound — certain
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. bound — obliged
  17. capital — money
  18. board — to get on
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. firm — a company
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. firm — steady
  24. mine — for digging

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