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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: can · drill · bound · mouse · mark · track · capital · club

  1. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. capital — a city
  3. club — for golf
  4. bound — obliged
  5. track — a path
  6. drill — a practice
  7. drill — the tool
  8. club — a group
  9. can — to be able to
  10. drill — army training
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. mark — a grade
  15. bound — certain
  16. bound — tied together
  17. can — a tin
  18. track — a song
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. club — for dancing
  21. mark — a trace
  22. track — to keep track
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. capital — money

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