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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. capital — a city
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. club — for dancing
  7. stock — shares
  8. stock — goods
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. ball — a dance
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. capital — money
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. pound — a weight
  18. stem — to come from
  19. ball — a great time
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. rush — hurry
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. club — for golf

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