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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 · lean · club · wake · wind · bowl · firm · track

  1. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. firm — decided
  3. track — to keep track
  4. lean — to bend
  5. firm — steady
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. club — a group
  9. capital — money
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. club — for golf
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. club — for dancing
  14. track — a song
  15. wind — moving air
  16. wind — moving air
  17. capital — a city
  18. firm — a company
  19. wake — a trail
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. lean — thin
  22. track — a path
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. wind — to turn a key

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