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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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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 · club · bear · cue · mug · chest · rule · vault

  1. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. chest — of your body
  3. club — for golf
  4. mug — a face
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. mug — a cup
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. cue — for pool
  9. vault — a safe
  10. rule — government
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. capital — a city
  13. club — for dancing
  14. capital — money
  15. bear — the animal
  16. rule — a law
  17. bear — the animal
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. mug — to rob
  20. chest — of your body
  21. cue — a signal
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. cue — a hint
  24. chest — a box

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