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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. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. game — wild animals
  3. staff — a stick
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. suit — clothes
  6. capital — money
  7. game — a match
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. pop — soda
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. staff — employees
  12. capital — a city
  13. cue — a hint
  14. pop — to visit
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. suit — to fit
  17. staff — employees
  18. cue — for pool
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. cue — a signal
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. suit — in cards
  24. lash — an eyelash

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