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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: nail · ground · bowl · rule · staff · pitcher · capital · stand

  1. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  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. rule — a law
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. ground — the earth
  6. capital — a city
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. stand — to bear
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. staff — employees
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. rule — government
  15. ground — crushed
  16. ground — a position
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. staff — employees
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. staff — a stick
  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