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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. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. cue — for pool
  4. mate — a partner
  5. cue — a signal
  6. season — of the year
  7. chair — a leader
  8. capital — a city
  9. shower — rain
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. rock — a stone
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. tube — the underground
  14. mate — a friend
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. rock — music
  17. tube — a container
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. capital — money
  21. season — in sport
  22. cue — a hint
  23. mate — to breed
  24. chair — a professorship

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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