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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. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. hand — help
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. cue — a hint
  6. pop — to visit
  7. capital — a city
  8. mug — to rob
  9. rule — a law
  10. mug — a cup
  11. mug — a face
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. hand — in cards
  14. cue — a signal
  15. rule — government
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. pop — soda
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. pitch — completely
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. capital — money
  24. cue — for pool

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