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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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. deal — an agreement
  4. cue — a signal
  5. saw — the tool
  6. deal — to handle
  7. key — the most important part
  8. rush — hurry
  9. cue — for pool
  10. capital — money
  11. mate — to breed
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. root — the cause
  15. mate — a friend
  16. capital — a city
  17. key — for a lock
  18. root — of a word
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. mate — a partner
  21. root — of a plant
  22. saw — the tool
  23. key — in music
  24. rush — a thrill

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