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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. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. cue — a signal
  3. cue — a hint
  4. suit — in cards
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. suit — clothes
  7. stem — to come from
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. foot — a measure
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. ball — a dance
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. capital — money
  14. capital — a city
  15. suit — to fit
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. ball — a great time
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. perch — the fish
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. cue — for pool
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. wake — a trail

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