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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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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: bear · stick · perch · capital · rule · bound · cap · race

  1. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. cap — a lid
  3. capital — money
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. race — the arms race
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. capital — a city
  9. cap — a hat
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. race — humankind
  12. bear — the animal
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. race — a contest
  15. bear — the animal
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. bound — obliged
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. rule — a law
  20. cap — of ice
  21. perch — the fish
  22. rule — government
  23. bound — tied together
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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