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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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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. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. foot — a measure
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. mug — to rob
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. pit — a hole
  9. stock — goods
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. cue — for pool
  13. capital — a city
  14. stock — shares
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. mug — a face
  17. pit — in a race
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. cue — a signal
  20. pass — a permit
  21. wax — to grow
  22. mug — a cup
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. capital — money

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