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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: cabinet · snap · capital · bound · wound · ground · content · fine

  1. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  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 big letter
  2. content — the amount
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. bound — certain
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. ground — crushed
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. wound — an injury
  9. bound — obliged
  10. ground — the earth
  11. wound — an injury
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. fine — high quality
  15. snap — to click
  16. bound — tied together
  17. ground — a position
  18. content — happy
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. capital — a city
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. fine — all right
  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