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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: ground · staff · capital · bear · club · ball · cue · board

  1. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. staff — a stick
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. cue — a hint
  5. club — for golf
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. ball — a great time
  8. board — a committee
  9. ground — crushed
  10. staff — employees
  11. capital — a city
  12. capital — money
  13. club — a group
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. cue — for pool
  16. staff — employees
  17. ball — a dance
  18. board — to get on
  19. ground — a position
  20. bear — the animal
  21. cue — a signal
  22. ground — the earth
  23. club — for dancing
  24. capital — a big letter

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