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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. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. capital — money
  3. object — a thing
  4. cue — for pool
  5. object — to protest
  6. chest — a box
  7. track — a path
  8. capital — a city
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. chest — of your body
  12. foot — a measure
  13. cap — a hat
  14. track — to keep track
  15. track — a song
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. cap — of ice
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. chest — of your body
  21. cue — a hint
  22. cue — a signal
  23. object — an aim
  24. cap — a lid

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