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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
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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: mug · nail · date · mark · cue · pitcher · fan · capital

  1. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. capital — a city
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. mark — a grade
  6. mug — a face
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. cue — a signal
  9. cue — a hint
  10. capital — money
  11. mark — a trace
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. cue — for pool
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. date — the fruit
  18. mug — a cup
  19. mug — to rob
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. fan — a supporter

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