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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. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a city
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. cue — a signal
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. snap — to click
  9. swing — music
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. swing — to play on
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. capital — money
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. cue — for pool
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. cue — a hint
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. swing — in golf
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. fan — a supporter

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