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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 116 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. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. cue — a hint
  3. capital — a city
  4. cue — a signal
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. mug — a cup
  7. squash — the sport
  8. root — of a plant
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. cue — for pool
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. squash — to crush
  14. mug — to rob
  15. capital — money
  16. court — of a king
  17. mug — a face
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. bark — to shout
  20. root — the cause
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. court — of law
  23. root — of a word
  24. court — for sport

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