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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 hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. hand — help
  3. capital — money
  4. drill — army training
  5. drill — a practice
  6. stand — to bear
  7. cue — for pool
  8. can — a tin
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. capital — a city
  11. drill — the tool
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. pop — music
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. can — a tin
  17. pop — to visit
  18. cue — a signal
  19. cue — a hint
  20. hand — in cards
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. pop — soda
  23. can — to be able to
  24. calf — of the leg

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