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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: prune · arm · wind · capital · foot · coach · charge · cue

  1. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. wind — moving air
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. capital — a city
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. wind — moving air
  7. capital — money
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. prune — to trim
  10. prune — to trim
  11. cue — a hint
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. cue — for pool
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. foot — a measure
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. charge — electricity
  23. charge — a price
  24. charge — in control

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