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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: bound · capital · hand · ground · temple · rock · stand · bulb

  1. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. rock — a stone
  7. hand — help
  8. ground — the earth
  9. hand — in cards
  10. stand — to bear
  11. ground — crushed
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. bulb — for light
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. ground — a position
  17. capital — a city
  18. bulb — for light
  19. bound — obliged
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. capital — money
  22. bound — tied together
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. rock — music

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