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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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. cue — for pool
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. mark — a grade
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. kick — in football
  8. squash — the sport
  9. pitch — completely
  10. capital — money
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. key — the most important part
  13. squash — to crush
  14. key — in music
  15. cue — a signal
  16. mark — a trace
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. capital — a city
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. cue — a hint
  21. can — a tin
  22. can — to be able to
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. key — for a lock

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