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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. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. club — for golf
  6. cap — a lid
  7. fall — the season
  8. deal — to handle
  9. bound — certain
  10. club — a group
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. bound — obliged
  13. fall — to drop
  14. fall — to drop
  15. pitch — completely
  16. capital — a city
  17. cap — a hat
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. bound — tied together
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. cap — of ice
  24. capital — money

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