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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. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. capital — a city
  3. club — for golf
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. capital — money
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. rock — a stone
  8. stock — goods
  9. last — to go on
  10. last — final
  11. cue — a signal
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. club — for dancing
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. stock — shares
  17. last — finally
  18. club — a group
  19. rock — music
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. cue — a hint
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. deal — to handle

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