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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. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. bat — the animal
  3. mark — a trace
  4. face — part of the head
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. key — the most important part
  7. cue — for pool
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. capital — a city
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. mark — a grade
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. charge — a price
  15. capital — money
  16. charge — electricity
  17. cue — a hint
  18. key — for a lock
  19. charge — in control
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. face — to confront
  22. face — to point toward
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. key — in music

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