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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. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. capital — a city
  3. kick — in football
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. cell — in biology
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. capital — money
  8. fork — in a road
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. cue — for pool
  12. fine — high quality
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. cue — a signal
  16. cue — a hint
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. fine — all right
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. cell — a phone
  24. fork — a garden tool

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