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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 beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. cue — a hint
  3. perch — the fish
  4. cue — a signal
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. stock — shares
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. capital — a city
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. cue — for pool
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. bore — to drill
  19. capital — money
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. stock — goods
  23. bore — to tire
  24. fan — to cool the air

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