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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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. present — there
  3. capital — a city
  4. cue — a hint
  5. staff — employees
  6. court — for sport
  7. present — a gift
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. net — in sport
  10. cue — a signal
  11. court — of law
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. staff — employees
  15. present — the time now
  16. capital — money
  17. staff — a stick
  18. net — for catching
  19. net — after costs
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. court — of a king
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. bowl — a dish

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