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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: cabinet · bank · capital · press · suit · mate · field · bound

  1. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. press — a publisher
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. suit — in cards
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. capital — a city
  7. capital — money
  8. field — a subject
  9. bank — of a river
  10. mate — a partner
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. press — newspapers
  13. suit — clothes
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. suit — to fit
  16. bank — for money
  17. bank — for money
  18. field — for sport
  19. mate — to breed
  20. bound — certain
  21. press — to push
  22. mate — a friend
  23. bound — tied together
  24. field — farmland

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