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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: file · drill · arm · toast · roll · cue · fan · capital

  1. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. file — a document
  3. cue — a hint
  4. roll — a cake
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. drill — the tool
  7. drill — army training
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. file — a tool
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. roll — a list
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. toast — bread
  14. cue — a signal
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. capital — a city
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. drill — a practice
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. capital — money
  23. file — a line of people
  24. toast — the most admired

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