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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're on a ________________ here.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. capital — a city
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. cap — a lid
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. plane — a tool
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. fork — in a road
  12. cap — of ice
  13. press — to push
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. press — newspapers
  16. capital — money
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. cue — a signal
  19. cue — for pool
  20. roll — a cake
  21. press — a publisher
  22. cue — a hint
  23. roll — a list
  24. cap — a hat

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