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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  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. cue — a signal
  2. cue — for pool
  3. can — a tin
  4. capital — money
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. can — a tin
  7. march — music
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. pit — a hole
  10. march — the month
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. fork — in a road
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. cue — a hint
  20. pit — in a race
  21. capital — a city
  22. march — the month
  23. can — to be able to
  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