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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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. cue — a hint
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. cap — a hat
  6. cap — a lid
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. capital — money
  9. can — a tin
  10. cue — a signal
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. scale — size or range
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. can — to be able to
  15. scale — in music
  16. capital — a city
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. cap — of ice
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. cue — for pool
  21. pass — a permit
  22. rush — hurry
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. can — a tin

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