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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: mouse · firm · fan · toast · capital · wound · club · chair

  1. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. firm — a company
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. wound — an injury
  6. wound — an injury
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. capital — money
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. club — for golf
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. toast — bread
  16. capital — a city
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. chair — a leader
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. firm — decided
  22. firm — steady
  23. club — a group
  24. club — for dancing

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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