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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: club · lean · bank · cue · capital · rash · object · wind

  1. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. club — a group
  3. cue — for pool
  4. object — an aim
  5. bank — for money
  6. object — to protest
  7. wind — moving air
  8. object — a thing
  9. lean — thin
  10. bank — of a river
  11. club — for dancing
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. capital — money
  14. wind — moving air
  15. club — for golf
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. lean — to bend
  19. rash — hasty
  20. bank — for money
  21. rash — a series
  22. capital — a city
  23. cue — a signal
  24. rash — on the skin

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