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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: drill · capital · tube · rash · rush · court · prune · club

  1. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. drill — army training
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. rash — hasty
  5. capital — a city
  6. drill — the tool
  7. drill — a practice
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. prune — to trim
  11. tube — the underground
  12. capital — money
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. club — a group
  15. prune — to trim
  16. rash — a series
  17. tube — a container
  18. court — of law
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. club — for golf
  21. court — of a king
  22. club — for dancing
  23. rush — hurry
  24. court — for sport

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