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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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. cue — a signal
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. suit — in cards
  6. firm — steady
  7. ball — a great time
  8. capital — a city
  9. suit — clothes
  10. suit — to fit
  11. content — the amount
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. firm — decided
  15. ball — a dance
  16. content — happy
  17. capital — money
  18. cue — a hint
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. firm — a company
  21. cue — for pool
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. dip — to sink

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