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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: stand · firm · rock · staff · tube · club · capital · track

  1. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. track — to keep track
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. track — a path
  6. capital — a city
  7. track — a song
  8. club — for golf
  9. tube — a container
  10. stand — to bear
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. staff — employees
  14. rock — music
  15. staff — a stick
  16. firm — steady
  17. tube — the underground
  18. club — a group
  19. club — for dancing
  20. firm — a company
  21. rock — a stone
  22. capital — money
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. firm — decided

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