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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: mouse · nail · court · capital · swing · charge · mug · stand

  1. David sat on the ________________.
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. capital — a city
  3. stand — to bear
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. court — for sport
  7. mug — a cup
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. court — of law
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. court — of a king
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. swing — in golf
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. charge — in control
  17. charge — a price
  18. capital — money
  19. charge — electricity
  20. swing — music
  21. mug — a face
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. mug — to rob
  24. stand — for spectators

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