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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: cue · cold · capital · sharp · fine · board · ruler · chest

  1. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. The water is too ________________.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. cue — for pool
  3. chest — of your body
  4. cue — a hint
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. cold — not warm
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. board — a committee
  9. cold — an illness
  10. capital — a city
  11. sharp — clever
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. cold — the Cold War
  14. fine — all right
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. cue — a signal
  18. capital — money
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. chest — a box
  21. board — to get on
  22. chest — of your body
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. fine — high quality

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