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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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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: last · suit · capital · file · straw · cue · stick · degree

  1. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. file — a tool
  4. suit — in cards
  5. suit — to fit
  6. last — to go on
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. last — final
  9. degree — an amount
  10. last — finally
  11. cue — a hint
  12. capital — money
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. degree — from a university
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. degree — temperature
  17. suit — clothes
  18. cue — a signal
  19. capital — a city
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. cue — for pool
  22. file — a line of people
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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