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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: cell · mate · capital · fall · fine · pass · club · ground

  1. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. fine — all right
  3. ground — the earth
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. fine — high quality
  6. fall — to drop
  7. capital — a city
  8. club — for golf
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. cell — a phone
  11. capital — money
  12. fall — the season
  13. club — a group
  14. pass — a permit
  15. mate — a partner
  16. mate — a friend
  17. ground — a position
  18. club — for dancing
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. fall — to drop
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. mate — to breed
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. ground — crushed

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