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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. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. cue — for pool
  3. capital — a city
  4. foot — a measure
  5. cap — a hat
  6. mug — to rob
  7. ground — crushed
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. cue — a hint
  10. squash — the sport
  11. cap — a lid
  12. ground — a position
  13. capital — money
  14. ground — the earth
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. mug — a cup
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. file — a document
  19. squash — to crush
  20. cap — of ice
  21. file — a tool
  22. file — a line of people
  23. mug — a face
  24. cue — a signal

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