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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: foot · cue · cold · pass · ball · capital · spell · jam

  1. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. The water is too ________________.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. spell — letters
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. spell — magic
  9. cold — an illness
  10. capital — money
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. cue — for pool
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. spell — a short time
  16. ball — a dance
  17. capital — a city
  18. cold — not warm
  19. foot — a measure
  20. pass — a permit
  21. cue — a signal
  22. cold — the Cold War
  23. ball — a great time
  24. foot — the bottom

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