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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
468
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: row · mouse · snap · saw · bound · bear · game · capital

  1. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. capital — a city
  4. row — to paddle
  5. saw — the tool
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. capital — money
  8. bear — the animal
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. saw — the tool
  12. bound — certain
  13. game — wild animals
  14. snap — to click
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. bound — obliged
  17. game — a match
  18. bound — tied together
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. bear — the animal
  22. row — a line
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. mouse — the animal

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