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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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. toast — bread
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. perch — the fish
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. cue — for pool
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. suit — clothes
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. kid — to tease
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. kid — child
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. cue — a hint
  20. capital — money
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. capital — a city
  23. cue — a signal
  24. suit — in cards

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