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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. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. cap — of ice
  4. cap — a hat
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. cue — a hint
  7. capital — money
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. staff — employees
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. field — farmland
  13. cue — for pool
  14. capital — a city
  15. field — for sport
  16. cap — a lid
  17. stand — to bear
  18. staff — employees
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. field — a subject
  22. pass — a permit
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. staff — a stick

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