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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 rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. capital — a city
  4. staff — a stick
  5. pop — music
  6. cue — for pool
  7. cue — a hint
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. firm — steady
  12. toast — bread
  13. file — a document
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. firm — a company
  16. staff — employees
  17. capital — money
  18. file — a line of people
  19. staff — employees
  20. pop — to visit
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. cue — a signal
  23. pop — soda
  24. firm — decided

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