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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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. hand — help
  3. court — of law
  4. hand — in cards
  5. mark — a trace
  6. can — a tin
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. capital — money
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. court — for sport
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. court — of a king
  13. cue — a signal
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. can — to be able to
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. cue — a hint
  19. cue — for pool
  20. can — a tin
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. capital — a city
  24. stand — to bear

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