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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. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. suit — to fit
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. cap — of ice
  7. stand — to bear
  8. staff — employees
  9. staff — a stick
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. cap — a lid
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. suit — in cards
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. cap — a hat
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. suit — clothes
  21. capital — a city
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. capital — money
  24. staff — employees

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