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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. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. rash — hasty
  3. court — for sport
  4. capital — money
  5. firm — a company
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. cue — a hint
  8. wake — a trail
  9. firm — steady
  10. cue — a signal
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. can — to be able to
  13. can — a tin
  14. capital — a city
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. mine — for digging
  17. can — a tin
  18. court — of law
  19. firm — decided
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. court — of a king
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. rash — a series

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