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

Word bank: snap · club · capital · object · leaves · pound

  1. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. 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. leaves — lets stay
  2. object — an aim
  3. capital — money
  4. object — a thing
  5. pound — a weight
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. snap — to click
  11. club — for golf
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. club — for dancing
  14. capital — a city
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. object — to protest
  18. 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