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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 120 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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. ball — a dance
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. rush — hurry
  6. cue — a hint
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. suit — in cards
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. cue — a signal
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. foot — a measure
  15. suit — clothes
  16. cap — a hat
  17. cue — for pool
  18. capital — a city
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. cap — a lid
  21. capital — money
  22. ball — a great time
  23. suit — to fit
  24. cap — of ice

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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