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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. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. file — a document
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. foot — a measure
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. file — a tool
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. rule — government
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. ball — a dance
  16. capital — a city
  17. cue — a hint
  18. roll — a list
  19. file — a line of people
  20. capital — money
  21. roll — a cake
  22. rule — a law
  23. cue — a signal
  24. cue — for pool

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