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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: jam · wound · cue · spring · hand · suit · capital · rule

  1. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. cue — for pool
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. rule — government
  6. capital — a city
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. rule — a law
  9. hand — help
  10. suit — clothes
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. wound — an injury
  13. spring — the season
  14. spring — of water
  15. cue — a signal
  16. wound — an injury
  17. spring — a coil
  18. hand — in cards
  19. suit — to fit
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. capital — money
  23. suit — in cards
  24. hand — part of the body

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