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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
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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 · roll · cap · club · nail · net · file · present

  1. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. club — a group
  3. net — for catching
  4. capital — a city
  5. roll — a list
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. net — in sport
  9. present — there
  10. cap — a hat
  11. file — a tool
  12. roll — a cake
  13. club — for dancing
  14. capital — money
  15. net — after costs
  16. present — the time now
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. present — a gift
  19. file — a line of people
  20. file — a document
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. cap — a lid
  23. cap — of ice
  24. club — for golf

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