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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. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. fall — to drop
  3. cue — a signal
  4. court — for sport
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. court — of a king
  7. cue — for pool
  8. capital — a city
  9. toast — bread
  10. fine — high quality
  11. court — of law
  12. land — ground
  13. capital — money
  14. cue — a hint
  15. fall — the season
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. land — a country
  20. pass — a permit
  21. fall — to drop
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. fine — all right
  24. land — to come down

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