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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. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. mark — a trace
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. capital — a city
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. stand — to bear
  8. present — there
  9. capital — money
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. mark — a grade
  12. fine — high quality
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. club — for dancing
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. present — a gift
  18. fine — all right
  19. bat — the animal
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. present — the time now
  24. club — a group

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