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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. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. ball — a great time
  3. mug — to rob
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. current — electric
  12. cue — a signal
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. mug — a face
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. mug — a cup
  17. capital — a city
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. current — of water
  20. current — happening now
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. ball — a dance
  23. cue — for pool
  24. cue — a hint

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