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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: rush · bound · spell · ground · capital · straw · key · arm

  1. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. capital — money
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. ground — crushed
  5. bound — obliged
  6. spell — magic
  7. capital — a city
  8. key — the most important part
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. ground — the earth
  12. spell — a short time
  13. bound — certain
  14. spell — letters
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. key — in music
  18. rush — hurry
  19. ground — a position
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. key — for a lock
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. bound — tied together
  24. capital — a big letter

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