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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: temple · bound · bear · shower · capital · cap · bay · bass

  1. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. bound — obliged
  4. cap — of ice
  5. cap — a hat
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. bass — the fish
  9. bear — the animal
  10. shower — rain
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. capital — money
  13. capital — a city
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. cap — a lid
  17. bound — tied together
  18. bear — the animal
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. shower — to wash
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. bass — low music
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. bear — to put up with

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