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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: mug · hand · staff · pass · stick · court · fine · capital

  1. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. hand — help
  3. capital — a city
  4. pass — a permit
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. court — for sport
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. hand — in cards
  10. staff — a stick
  11. mug — to rob
  12. staff — employees
  13. court — of a king
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. mug — a face
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. capital — money
  18. court — of law
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. mug — a cup
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. fine — all right
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. staff — employees

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