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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. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  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. cue — for pool
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. suit — to fit
  4. capital — a city
  5. track — a song
  6. capital — money
  7. tear — from crying
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. stock — goods
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. cue — a hint
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. suit — in cards
  14. track — to keep track
  15. track — a path
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. tear — from crying
  18. rash — hasty
  19. rash — a series
  20. suit — clothes
  21. stock — shares
  22. cue — a signal
  23. tear — to rip
  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