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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 116 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: plane · sharp · content · capital · cue · kick · rest · key

  1. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. cue — a hint
  4. key — the most important part
  5. rest — what's left
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. cue — a signal
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. rest — what's left
  11. sharp — clever
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. plane — a tool
  14. content — the amount
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. key — in music
  17. rest — a break
  18. capital — money
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. capital — a city
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. key — for a lock
  23. cue — for pool
  24. content — happy

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