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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. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. content — happy
  3. kid — child
  4. capital — a city
  5. bore — to drill
  6. capital — money
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. lean — to bend
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. kid — to tease
  12. lean — thin
  13. content — the amount
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. cue — a signal
  17. bore — to tire
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. bank — of a river
  20. bank — for money
  21. bank — for money
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. 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