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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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. craft — boats
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. capital — a city
  6. cue — a signal
  7. court — of a king
  8. court — for sport
  9. suit — to fit
  10. suit — clothes
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. row — to paddle
  14. row — a line
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. court — of law
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. capital — money
  20. suit — in cards
  21. cue — for pool
  22. cue — a hint
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. craft — a skill

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