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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: present · object · capital · race · club · firm · band · bowl

  1. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. present — the time now
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. club — for dancing
  5. band — a ring
  6. firm — steady
  7. capital — money
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. club — a group
  10. race — the arms race
  11. firm — decided
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. race — a contest
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. object — a thing
  16. present — there
  17. club — for golf
  18. object — an aim
  19. capital — a city
  20. race — humankind
  21. band — a music group
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. present — a gift
  24. firm — a company

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