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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. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. chest — a box
  3. hand — help
  4. capital — a city
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. cue — for pool
  7. cue — a signal
  8. capital — money
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. cue — a hint
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. hand — in cards
  15. firm — decided
  16. firm — a company
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. chest — of your body
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. bat — the animal
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. chest — of your body

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