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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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Word bank
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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: bay · rest · fork · stick · club · capital

  1. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a city
  2. rest — what's left
  3. club — for dancing
  4. club — for golf
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. rest — a break
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. club — a group
  12. rest — what's left
  13. capital — money
  14. fork — in a road
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. stick — a piece of wood

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