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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 · march · lash · foot · suit · cue · fine

  1. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  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. ball — a great time
  2. suit — clothes
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. capital — money
  6. march — music
  7. foot — a measure
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. suit — in cards
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. cue — a signal
  12. fine — high quality
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. march — the month
  16. cue — a hint
  17. ball — a dance
  18. suit — to fit
  19. fine — all right
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. march — the month
  22. capital — a city
  23. capital — a big letter
  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