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

Word bank: capital · bay · cue · bear · key · arm · can · cold

  1. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  6. The water is too ________________.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. can — to be able to
  5. cold — an illness
  6. cold — not warm
  7. cue — for pool
  8. bear — the animal
  9. key — the most important part
  10. cue — a signal
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. can — a tin
  13. can — a tin
  14. bear — the animal
  15. key — in music
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. key — for a lock
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. cue — a hint
  21. capital — money
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. capital — a city

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