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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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. cue — a signal
  4. capital — money
  5. capital — a city
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. mate — a partner
  9. key — in music
  10. bore — to drill
  11. cue — for pool
  12. mate — to breed
  13. stock — shares
  14. bore — to tire
  15. key — for a lock
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. present — the time now
  18. present — a gift
  19. mate — a friend
  20. key — the most important part
  21. stock — goods
  22. cue — a hint
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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