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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. rush — hurry
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. cue — for pool
  7. track — a song
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. capital — a city
  10. track — a path
  11. cue — a hint
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. track — to keep track
  15. fork — in a road
  16. capital — money
  17. deal — to handle
  18. mark — a grade
  19. mark — a trace
  20. cue — a signal
  21. mate — a friend
  22. mate — a partner
  23. mate — to breed
  24. fork — a garden tool

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