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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 120 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. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. staff — employees
  3. staff — employees
  4. firm — decided
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. capital — money
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. cue — a signal
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. firm — steady
  14. firm — a company
  15. ball — a dance
  16. fork — in a road
  17. capital — a city
  18. staff — a stick
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. cue — a hint
  22. cue — for pool
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. ball — a great time

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