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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: club · staff · mark · ground · mouse · capital · tube · rest

  1. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. mark — a trace
  3. tube — the underground
  4. rest — what's left
  5. club — for golf
  6. rest — a break
  7. ground — the earth
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. club — a group
  10. tube — a container
  11. ground — a position
  12. club — for dancing
  13. ground — crushed
  14. rest — what's left
  15. staff — a stick
  16. capital — money
  17. staff — employees
  18. staff — employees
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. mark — a grade
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. capital — a city

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