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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. He is an ace ________________.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. suit — in cards
  3. spell — a short time
  4. spell — magic
  5. cue — a signal
  6. suit — to fit
  7. season — in sport
  8. season — of the year
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. suit — clothes
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. capital — a city
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. spell — letters
  19. cue — a hint
  20. capital — money
  21. cue — for pool
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. season — to add flavour

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