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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 120 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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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: capital · rest · cue · snap · stick · deal · court · face

  1. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. snap — to click
  3. court — of law
  4. deal — to handle
  5. court — for sport
  6. face — to confront
  7. face — part of the head
  8. rest — a break
  9. capital — a city
  10. cue — a hint
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. face — to point toward
  15. cue — for pool
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. cue — a signal
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. rest — what's left
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. court — of a king
  24. capital — money

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