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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: cue · ball · object · capital · foot · clip · toast · cabinet

  1. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. capital — money
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. clip — for paper
  6. object — to protest
  7. cue — a signal
  8. foot — a measure
  9. ball — a great time
  10. cue — a hint
  11. toast — bread
  12. capital — a city
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. clip — to cut
  16. ball — a dance
  17. object — an aim
  18. clip — a video
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. cue — for pool
  21. object — a thing
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. foot — part of the body

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