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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. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. rock — music
  4. mug — a face
  5. ball — a great time
  6. cue — for pool
  7. stand — to bear
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. capital — money
  10. rock — a stone
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. wound — an injury
  13. mug — to rob
  14. cue — a signal
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. wound — an injury
  17. mug — a cup
  18. tube — a container
  19. capital — a city
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. cue — a hint
  23. tube — the underground
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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