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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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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: current · squash · bay · club · capital · stand · fork · lie

  1. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. capital — a city
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. current — happening now
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. lie — to recline
  8. club — for golf
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. current — of water
  11. squash — to crush
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. stand — to bear
  14. current — electric
  15. squash — the sport
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. capital — money
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. fork — in a road
  24. club — for dancing

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