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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. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. cue — for pool
  3. can — to be able to
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. press — a publisher
  6. mark — a grade
  7. press — newspapers
  8. capital — a city
  9. can — a tin
  10. capital — money
  11. branch — a division
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. cue — a signal
  14. press — to push
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. mark — a trace
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. can — a tin
  21. dip — to sink
  22. cue — a hint
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. mark — to pay attention

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