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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: capital · cue · mug · bass · mine · lie · club · drill

  1. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. drill — army training
  3. club — a group
  4. drill — a practice
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. club — for dancing
  7. lie — to recline
  8. drill — the tool
  9. cue — a signal
  10. mine — for digging
  11. capital — money
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. capital — a city
  14. cue — a hint
  15. bass — the fish
  16. cue — for pool
  17. club — for golf
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. mug — a cup
  20. mug — to rob
  21. bass — low music
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. mug — a face
  24. mine — an explosive

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