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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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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: sharp · chair · capital · mate · staff · cue · mark · suit

  1. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. mate — a friend
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. cue — for pool
  5. cue — a signal
  6. staff — a stick
  7. staff — employees
  8. cue — a hint
  9. suit — clothes
  10. mark — a grade
  11. suit — in cards
  12. mate — to breed
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. capital — a city
  15. suit — to fit
  16. staff — employees
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. sharp — clever
  20. chair — a leader
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. capital — money
  23. mark — a trace
  24. mate — a partner

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