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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: foot · suit · jam · mark · cue · game · ball · capital

  1. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. game — wild animals
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. cue — for pool
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. suit — to fit
  7. cue — a hint
  8. cue — a signal
  9. mark — a trace
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. ball — a dance
  13. mark — a grade
  14. suit — in cards
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. game — a match
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. capital — money
  21. capital — a city
  22. foot — a measure
  23. ball — a great time
  24. suit — clothes

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