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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: capital · ruler · mug · key · race · hand · bound · spell

  1. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. spell — letters
  4. spell — magic
  5. capital — a city
  6. key — the most important part
  7. bound — tied together
  8. hand — help
  9. hand — in cards
  10. race — a contest
  11. race — the arms race
  12. key — for a lock
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. race — humankind
  16. bound — certain
  17. mug — a face
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. mug — to rob
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. key — in music
  22. bound — obliged
  23. spell — a short time
  24. mug — a cup

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