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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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468
Word bank
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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 can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. capital — a city
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. cue — a hint
  9. wound — an injury
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. pitch — completely
  14. toast — bread
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. wound — an injury
  18. cue — a signal
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. capital — money
  24. perch — the fish

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