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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. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. capital — a city
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. capital — money
  5. cue — a hint
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. drill — a practice
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. last — final
  11. cap — a lid
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. cue — for pool
  14. plane — a tool
  15. drill — army training
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. cap — a hat
  18. drill — the tool
  19. last — to go on
  20. last — finally
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. cap — of ice

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