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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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. bank — for money
  3. cue — a signal
  4. capital — a city
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. cue — a hint
  7. charge — electricity
  8. cue — for pool
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. bank — for money
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. pop — soda
  15. sharp — clever
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. bear — the animal
  18. pop — music
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. charge — in control
  21. bank — of a river
  22. charge — a price
  23. bear — the animal
  24. capital — money

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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