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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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. cue — for pool
  4. court — for sport
  5. tear — from crying
  6. court — of law
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. charge — electricity
  9. tear — from crying
  10. tear — to rip
  11. mug — a face
  12. cue — a signal
  13. capital — a city
  14. charge — in control
  15. cue — a hint
  16. charge — a price
  17. court — of a king
  18. file — a document
  19. rush — hurry
  20. mug — a cup
  21. file — a tool
  22. file — a line of people
  23. mug — to rob
  24. capital — money

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