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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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. swing — music
  3. capital — a city
  4. cue — a hint
  5. fine — all right
  6. swing — in golf
  7. object — a thing
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. swing — to play on
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. capital — money
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. date — the fruit
  16. cue — a signal
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. fine — high quality
  19. object — to protest
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. cue — for pool

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