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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 120 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: lie · cue · club · bound · pit · mug · capital · craft

  1. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. club — a group
  3. craft — boats
  4. club — for dancing
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. lie — to recline
  7. bound — obliged
  8. pit — in a race
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. mug — a cup
  11. cue — for pool
  12. cue — a hint
  13. bound — certain
  14. cue — a signal
  15. craft — a skill
  16. club — for golf
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. capital — money
  19. capital — a city
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. mug — a face
  22. pit — a hole
  23. mug — to rob
  24. capital — a big letter

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