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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: mug · season · club · face · prune · capital · court · stand

  1. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. club — for golf
  3. stand — to bear
  4. mug — a cup
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. season — of the year
  7. capital — money
  8. face — to point toward
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. court — of a king
  12. season — in sport
  13. mug — to rob
  14. mug — a face
  15. court — of law
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. club — for dancing
  18. capital — a city
  19. face — to confront
  20. club — a group
  21. court — for sport
  22. face — part of the head
  23. prune — to trim
  24. prune — the fruit

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