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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 116 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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  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. can — to be able to
  2. cue — a hint
  3. capital — money
  4. capital — a city
  5. firm — steady
  6. can — a tin
  7. court — of a king
  8. cue — a signal
  9. court — of law
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. court — for sport
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. season — in sport
  15. can — a tin
  16. stem — to come from
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. firm — a company
  21. firm — decided
  22. season — of the year
  23. cue — for pool
  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