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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 120 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
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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 · row · degree · bay · scale · calf · bowl

  1. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a city
  2. bound — obliged
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. bound — certain
  5. bound — tied together
  6. row — a line
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. row — to paddle
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. degree — from a university
  11. degree — an amount
  12. capital — money
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. scale — size or range
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. degree — temperature
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. scale — in music
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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