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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. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. cue — a signal
  4. cue — a hint
  5. capital — money
  6. fall — the season
  7. season — of the year
  8. deal — to handle
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. fall — to drop
  11. cue — for pool
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. capital — a city
  14. fall — to drop
  15. march — the month
  16. foot — a measure
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. march — music
  21. season — in sport
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. capital — a big letter

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