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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 120 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: can · present · firm · file · bound · capital · pitch · fine

  1. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. bound — tied together
  3. file — a tool
  4. bound — certain
  5. firm — steady
  6. fine — high quality
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. can — a tin
  9. firm — a company
  10. file — a line of people
  11. fine — all right
  12. present — there
  13. firm — decided
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. present — a gift
  17. file — a document
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. pitch — completely
  20. capital — a city
  21. can — to be able to
  22. capital — money
  23. bound — obliged
  24. present — the time now

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