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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 116 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: capital · clip · wave · plane · club · stand · nail · chair

  1. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. club — a group
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. capital — money
  5. clip — a video
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. clip — for paper
  8. chair — a leader
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. stand — to bear
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. clip — to cut
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. plane — a tool
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. club — for golf
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. club — for dancing
  21. capital — a city
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. stand — on your feet

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