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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 116 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a city
  2. rest — what's left
  3. swing — in golf
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. capital — money
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. rest — what's left
  8. swing — to play on
  9. swing — music
  10. cue — for pool
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. cue — a hint
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. rest — a break
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. wake — a trail
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. cue — a signal

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