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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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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. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. mug — a face
  3. net — in sport
  4. firm — a company
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. bulb — for light
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. capital — money
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. net — for catching
  11. bulb — for light
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. cue — a signal
  14. mug — a cup
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. snap — to click
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. cue — a hint
  19. cue — for pool
  20. capital — a city
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. firm — decided
  23. net — after costs
  24. firm — steady

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