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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: stick · drill · kick · can · fan · capital · wax · club

  1. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. drill — the tool
  3. club — for golf
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. club — for dancing
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. kick — in football
  10. drill — a practice
  11. capital — a city
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. can — a tin
  15. wax — to grow
  16. can — a tin
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. drill — army training
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. can — to be able to
  24. capital — money

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