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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: board · racket · safe · content · capital · club · toast · hand

  1. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. content — the amount
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. club — for golf
  5. hand — help
  6. content — happy
  7. toast — bread
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. capital — money
  12. club — for dancing
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. board — a committee
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. hand — in cards
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. board — to get on
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. capital — a city
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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