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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. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. 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. cue — for pool
  2. mark — a trace
  3. ground — crushed
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. capital — money
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. mark — a grade
  12. hand — help
  13. ground — a position
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. ground — the earth
  16. bark — to shout
  17. cue — a hint
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. lie — to recline
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. hand — in cards
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. capital — a city
  24. 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