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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. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  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. cue — a signal
  2. capital — money
  3. spell — a short time
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. race — a contest
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. cue — a hint
  10. spell — magic
  11. race — the arms race
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. deal — to handle
  14. race — humankind
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. stand — to bear
  17. spell — letters
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. capital — a city
  23. capital — a big letter
  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