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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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468
Word bank
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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. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. cue — a hint
  3. deal — to handle
  4. cue — a signal
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. tube — a container
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. rule — government
  16. capital — a city
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. capital — money
  19. tube — the underground
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. rule — a law
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. tube — in a tire

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