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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 116 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. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  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. staff — employees
  2. bat — the animal
  3. capital — money
  4. staff — a stick
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. club — for dancing
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. spring — the season
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. spring — of water
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. spring — a coil
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. stand — to bear
  20. capital — a city
  21. staff — employees
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. club — a group
  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