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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.

Make a worksheet

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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. mug — a cup
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. saw — the tool
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. cue — a signal
  8. pitch — completely
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. mug — a face
  13. capital — money
  14. cue — for pool
  15. mug — to rob
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. capital — a city
  18. cue — a hint

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