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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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. bulb — for light
  3. cue — for pool
  4. capital — money
  5. suit — to fit
  6. net — in sport
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. bulb — for light
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. net — for catching
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. suit — clothes
  14. net — after costs
  15. suit — in cards
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. cue — a signal
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. cue — a hint
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. capital — a city

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