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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: club · capital · stand · roll · rock · cue · wind · track

  1. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. club — a group
  3. capital — money
  4. track — a song
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. club — for golf
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. cue — for pool
  9. track — a path
  10. capital — a city
  11. stand — to bear
  12. wind — moving air
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. rock — a stone
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. roll — a cake
  18. cue — a signal
  19. wind — moving air
  20. roll — a list
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. track — to keep track
  23. rock — music
  24. club — for dancing

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