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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. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. march — music
  4. march — the month
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. march — the month
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. capital — a city
  9. hand — help
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. content — the amount
  12. cue — a signal
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. cue — for pool
  16. net — after costs
  17. net — for catching
  18. cue — a hint
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. capital — money
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. content — happy
  24. net — in sport

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