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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 · can · club · firm · cap · capital · rule · fall

  1. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  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. cap — of ice
  2. fall — to drop
  3. ground — the earth
  4. rule — government
  5. fall — the season
  6. can — a tin
  7. club — a group
  8. club — for golf
  9. firm — a company
  10. ground — crushed
  11. firm — steady
  12. cap — a hat
  13. can — to be able to
  14. capital — a city
  15. club — for dancing
  16. fall — to drop
  17. cap — a lid
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. ground — a position
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. capital — money
  22. rule — a law
  23. can — a tin
  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