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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. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. cue — a hint
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. lie — to recline
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. roll — a cake
  7. bank — of a river
  8. squash — to crush
  9. capital — money
  10. march — the month
  11. bank — for money
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. capital — a city
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. squash — the sport
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. march — the month
  18. bank — for money
  19. march — music
  20. stand — to bear
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. roll — a list
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. cue — a signal

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