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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: deal · bound · hide · stem · present · rock · capital · club

  1. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. deal — to handle
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. club — for golf
  5. club — a group
  6. bound — certain
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. present — the time now
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. rock — a stone
  12. stem — to come from
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. present — a gift
  15. rock — music
  16. bound — obliged
  17. capital — money
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. present — there
  22. bound — tied together
  23. club — for dancing
  24. capital — a city

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