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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: object · last · sharp · capital · tube · rule · bear · bound

  1. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. capital — money
  3. last — finally
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. tube — a container
  6. object — a thing
  7. bear — the animal
  8. rule — government
  9. sharp — clever
  10. last — final
  11. bound — obliged
  12. rule — a law
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. capital — a city
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. object — an aim
  18. bear — the animal
  19. last — to go on
  20. bound — tied together
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. object — to protest
  23. bound — certain
  24. tube — the underground

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