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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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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 · branch · snap · mark · capital · pound · foot · patient

  1. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. cue — a hint
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. capital — a city
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. cue — a signal
  10. pound — a weight
  11. mark — a trace
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. cue — for pool
  15. capital — money
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. foot — a measure
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. mark — a grade
  23. snap — to click
  24. branch — a division

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