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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. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. cue — for pool
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. charge — in control
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. capital — money
  15. charge — a price
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. cue — a signal
  18. craft — boats
  19. bark — to shout
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. capital — a city
  22. craft — a skill
  23. chair — a leader
  24. charge — electricity

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