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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.

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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: staff · saw · foot · dip · cue · prune · rush · capital

  1. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. saw — the tool
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. cue — a signal
  7. capital — a city
  8. dip — to sink
  9. staff — employees
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. staff — a stick
  12. saw — the tool
  13. foot — a measure
  14. cue — for pool
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. prune — to trim
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. cue — a hint
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. staff — employees
  21. capital — money
  22. prune — to trim
  23. rush — hurry
  24. prune — the fruit

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