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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. suit — in cards
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. capital — a city
  5. plane — a tool
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. root — of a plant
  9. bound — certain
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. suit — clothes
  13. cue — a signal
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. root — the cause
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. cue — for pool
  20. suit — to fit
  21. capital — money
  22. bound — obliged
  23. root — of a word
  24. bound — tied together

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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