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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: game · suit · prune · cue · rest · capital · hide · dip

  1. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. prune — to trim
  3. cue — a signal
  4. capital — a city
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. rest — what's left
  11. cue — a hint
  12. suit — to fit
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. suit — clothes
  15. prune — to trim
  16. game — a match
  17. game — wild animals
  18. suit — in cards
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. rest — a break
  21. capital — money
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. rest — what's left
  24. dip — to sink

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