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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: ground · bound · capital · firm · lean · club · stick · rash

  1. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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. lean — to rest against
  4. club — for dancing
  5. lean — to bend
  6. lean — thin
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. rash — a series
  9. firm — decided
  10. firm — steady
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. rash — hasty
  13. ground — a position
  14. capital — a city
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. capital — money
  17. firm — a company
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. bound — tied together
  20. bound — certain
  21. ground — crushed
  22. bound — obliged
  23. club — for golf
  24. ground — the earth

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