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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 124 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. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. cue — a hint
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. present — the time now
  6. present — there
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. present — a gift
  11. capital — a city
  12. cue — a signal
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. kid — child
  15. kid — to tease
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. capital — money
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. cue — for pool
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. snap — to click

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