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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. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. bore — to tire
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. cue — for pool
  9. deal — to handle
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. bore — to drill
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. hand — in cards
  14. rock — music
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. rock — a stone
  17. capital — money
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. hand — help
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. capital — a city
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. cue — a signal

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