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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: fork · club · stand · content · leaves · capital · ball · rush

  1. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. rush — hurry
  5. ball — a great time
  6. fork — in a road
  7. club — for dancing
  8. stand — to bear
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. content — happy
  11. capital — money
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. content — the amount
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. ball — a dance
  20. club — a group
  21. capital — a city
  22. club — for golf
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. ball — a round shape

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