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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: mug · calf · prune · capital · bound · saw · present · ball

  1. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. bound — tied together
  3. mug — a cup
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. saw — the tool
  6. bound — certain
  7. present — the time now
  8. ball — a dance
  9. capital — money
  10. prune — to trim
  11. capital — a city
  12. mug — a face
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. ball — a great time
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. present — a gift
  18. mug — to rob
  19. saw — the tool
  20. bound — obliged
  21. prune — to trim
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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