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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: capital · cue · clip · bear · mouse · object · leaves · fork

  1. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. cue — for pool
  3. clip — to cut
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. cue — a signal
  6. cue — a hint
  7. clip — a video
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. object — an aim
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. fork — in a road
  12. bear — the animal
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. object — to protest
  16. capital — money
  17. clip — for paper
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. capital — a city
  20. bear — the animal
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. object — a thing

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