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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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. capital — a city
  3. foot — a measure
  4. suit — to fit
  5. suit — in cards
  6. staff — employees
  7. cue — a hint
  8. suit — clothes
  9. ball — a great time
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. ball — a dance
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. pit — a hole
  16. capital — money
  17. cue — a signal
  18. pit — in a race
  19. cue — for pool
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. staff — a stick
  22. staff — employees
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. rush — hurry

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