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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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  17. The water is too ________________.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. capital — a city
  3. cue — for pool
  4. bore — to drill
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. cold — an illness
  7. bank — for money
  8. perch — the fish
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. cue — a hint
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. race — the arms race
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. cold — the Cold War
  17. cold — not warm
  18. race — a contest
  19. race — humankind
  20. bore — to tire
  21. bank — of a river
  22. capital — money
  23. cue — a signal
  24. bank — for money

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