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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. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. cue — for pool
  3. mug — to rob
  4. capital — money
  5. saw — the tool
  6. track — to keep track
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. chest — of your body
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. board — to get on
  12. capital — a city
  13. mug — a face
  14. track — a path
  15. cue — a hint
  16. chest — a box
  17. board — a committee
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. dip — to sink
  20. chest — of your body
  21. mug — a cup
  22. saw — the tool
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. track — a song

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