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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. He is an ace ________________.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. tube — a container
  6. capital — money
  7. capital — a city
  8. wound — an injury
  9. cue — a signal
  10. bound — certain
  11. track — to keep track
  12. mark — a grade
  13. tube — the underground
  14. cue — a hint
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. track — a song
  17. track — a path
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. mark — a trace
  20. bound — tied together
  21. wound — an injury
  22. bound — obliged
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. pitcher — a jug

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