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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: ball · capital · club · lash · drill · key · march · bound

  1. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  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. bound — tied together
  2. drill — army training
  3. key — for a lock
  4. march — the month
  5. ball — a dance
  6. capital — a city
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. bound — certain
  9. drill — a practice
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. march — music
  12. club — a group
  13. club — for dancing
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. march — the month
  17. drill — the tool
  18. key — in music
  19. club — for golf
  20. capital — money
  21. bound — obliged
  22. key — the most important part
  23. ball — a great time
  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