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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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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: toast · fine · capital · mouse · cell · club · march · kick

  1. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. club — a group
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. kick — in football
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. club — for dancing
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. capital — a city
  10. club — for golf
  11. cell — a phone
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. march — the month
  14. march — the month
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. fine — high quality
  17. toast — bread
  18. cell — in biology
  19. capital — money
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. fine — all right
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. march — music

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