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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: mate · current · capital · bore · pit · mouse · deal · bound

  1. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  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. capital — a city
  2. mate — a partner
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. mate — a friend
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. current — happening now
  7. bound — tied together
  8. mate — to breed
  9. pit — in a race
  10. pit — a hole
  11. bore — to drill
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. bore — to tire
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. deal — to handle
  18. bound — certain
  19. current — of water
  20. bound — obliged
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. current — electric
  23. mouse — the animal
  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