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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: net · club · trunk · coach · mug · rule · capital · leaves

  1. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. club — a group
  3. mug — a cup
  4. capital — a city
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. club — for dancing
  10. net — in sport
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. net — for catching
  13. net — after costs
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. rule — government
  17. mug — to rob
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. rule — a law
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. capital — money
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. mug — a face

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