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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: bound · rock · foot · capital · band · cabinet · season · tube

  1. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. season — of the year
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. season — in sport
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. bound — tied together
  9. band — a music group
  10. foot — a measure
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. tube — a container
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. capital — money
  17. rock — a stone
  18. rock — music
  19. bound — obliged
  20. band — a ring
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. capital — a city
  24. tube — the underground

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