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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. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. cue — a signal
  6. fork — in a road
  7. cue — for pool
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. season — of the year
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. saw — the tool
  14. hand — help
  15. capital — money
  16. saw — the tool
  17. cue — a hint
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. capital — a city
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. hand — in cards
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. season — in sport

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