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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: mug · mine · key · capital · content · stand · cell · suit

  1. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. mug — a face
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. capital — a city
  7. stand — to bear
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. mug — a cup
  11. mug — to rob
  12. suit — to fit
  13. content — happy
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. cell — a phone
  16. cell — in biology
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. key — for a lock
  19. mine — for digging
  20. key — the most important part
  21. suit — in cards
  22. capital — money
  23. content — the amount
  24. suit — clothes

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