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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: ball · capital · stock · hide · swing · pass · straw · cue

  1. David sat on the ________________.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. cue — a hint
  3. ball — a great time
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. swing — in golf
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. swing — music
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. cue — a signal
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. stock — shares
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. stock — goods
  16. capital — a city
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. ball — a dance
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. pass — a permit
  23. capital — money
  24. cue — for pool

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