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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 116 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. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. cue — for pool
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. clip — a video
  5. capital — a city
  6. scale — in music
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. clip — for paper
  9. wake — a trail
  10. stand — to bear
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. scale — size or range
  13. fine — all right
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. fine — high quality
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. clip — to cut
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. pit — in a race
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. capital — money
  22. pit — a hole
  23. cue — a signal
  24. scale — for weighing

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