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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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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: capital · fine · rock · craft · chair · stand · cold · club

  1. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. The water is too ________________.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. capital — money
  5. cold — the Cold War
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. club — for dancing
  8. cold — an illness
  9. craft — a skill
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. rock — a stone
  14. club — for golf
  15. cold — not warm
  16. club — a group
  17. fine — high quality
  18. fine — all right
  19. stand — to bear
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. chair — a leader
  22. rock — music
  23. craft — boats
  24. capital — a city

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