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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. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. firm — steady
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. rash — a series
  5. cue — a signal
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. rash — hasty
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. object — to protest
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. firm — decided
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. firm — a company
  17. cue — for pool
  18. object — a thing
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. object — an aim
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. capital — money
  23. capital — a city
  24. snap — to click

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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