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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 116 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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. ground — a position
  4. rest — a break
  5. capital — money
  6. cell — in biology
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. cue — for pool
  11. cell — a phone
  12. cue — a signal
  13. ground — the earth
  14. cue — a hint
  15. rest — what's left
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. rest — what's left
  20. ground — crushed
  21. capital — a city
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. bowl — a dish

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