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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 116 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: capital · present · drill · branch · bound · club · calf · cold

  1. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. The water is too ________________.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. branch — a division
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. cold — not warm
  5. club — a group
  6. capital — a city
  7. capital — money
  8. drill — army training
  9. drill — a practice
  10. cold — an illness
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. drill — the tool
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. bound — obliged
  17. bound — certain
  18. cold — the Cold War
  19. present — the time now
  20. present — there
  21. club — for dancing
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. present — a gift
  24. club — for golf

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