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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: tube · bass · capital · object · club · game · key · ground

  1. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. ground — the earth
  3. tube — the underground
  4. ground — a position
  5. object — a thing
  6. club — for golf
  7. object — to protest
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. club — for dancing
  11. bass — low music
  12. key — in music
  13. bass — the fish
  14. key — for a lock
  15. capital — money
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. game — wild animals
  19. ground — crushed
  20. key — the most important part
  21. club — a group
  22. capital — a city
  23. tube — a container
  24. game — a match

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