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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. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. cue — for pool
  5. prune — to trim
  6. capital — a city
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. band — a music group
  10. cue — a signal
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. stand — to bear
  13. key — in music
  14. band — a ring
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. capital — money
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. key — the most important part
  21. cue — a hint
  22. prune — to trim
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. capital — a big letter

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