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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. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. prune — to trim
  3. bank — of a river
  4. cue — for pool
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. cap — of ice
  11. cap — a lid
  12. prune — to trim
  13. board — a committee
  14. capital — money
  15. foot — a measure
  16. cue — a hint
  17. bank — for money
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. board — to get on
  21. bank — for money
  22. cue — a signal
  23. capital — a city
  24. foot — the bottom

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