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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. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  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. net — for catching
  2. fine — high quality
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. cue — a signal
  5. scale — size or range
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. scale — in music
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. suit — to fit
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. net — in sport
  13. cue — for pool
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. suit — clothes
  16. rest — a break
  17. rest — what's left
  18. suit — in cards
  19. fine — all right
  20. capital — money
  21. rest — what's left
  22. capital — a city
  23. net — after costs
  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