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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: nail · press · bound · drill · race · bulb · capital · cabinet

  1. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. capital — a city
  3. bound — tied together
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. bound — certain
  6. capital — money
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. press — newspapers
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. drill — a practice
  12. race — a contest
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. drill — the tool
  15. press — a publisher
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. press — to push
  19. race — humankind
  20. drill — army training
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. race — the arms race
  23. bulb — for light
  24. bulb — for light

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