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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. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a city
  2. cue — a signal
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. band — a ring
  5. stem — to come from
  6. cue — a hint
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. staff — employees
  15. dip — to sink
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. staff — employees
  21. staff — a stick
  22. capital — money
  23. band — a music group
  24. cue — for pool

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