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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: cabinet · club · capital · nail · march · tube · mark · mouse

  1. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. tube — a container
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. tube — the underground
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. capital — money
  12. mark — a trace
  13. march — music
  14. march — the month
  15. club — for dancing
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. club — for golf
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. mark — a grade
  22. march — the month
  23. capital — a city
  24. mouse — the animal

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