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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. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. cue — for pool
  3. spring — a coil
  4. squash — the sport
  5. capital — a city
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. spell — letters
  8. board — a committee
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. pit — in a race
  11. capital — money
  12. board — to get on
  13. spell — a short time
  14. spring — of water
  15. cue — a signal
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. spring — the season
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. spell — magic
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. pit — a hole
  24. cue — a hint

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