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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. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. The water is too ________________.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. swing — in golf
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. cue — a signal
  5. fine — high quality
  6. cold — not warm
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. swing — to play on
  9. swing — music
  10. mark — a trace
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. fine — all right
  13. mark — a grade
  14. cue — for pool
  15. capital — a city
  16. cold — an illness
  17. mug — a cup
  18. march — the month
  19. mug — to rob
  20. march — the month
  21. cold — the Cold War
  22. cue — a hint
  23. mug — a face
  24. march — music

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