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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 120 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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. club — for golf
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. club — a group
  5. present — a gift
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. capital — a city
  15. capital — money
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. squash — to crush
  18. pass — a permit
  19. stock — goods
  20. squash — the sport
  21. present — there
  22. stock — shares
  23. club — for dancing
  24. cabinet — ministers

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