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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: cue · toast · pit · straw · can · capital · mouse · chest

  1. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. cue — a hint
  3. pit — in a race
  4. cue — for pool
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. capital — money
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. chest — a box
  10. capital — a city
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. chest — of your body
  14. can — a tin
  15. can — a tin
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. chest — of your body
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. cue — a signal
  22. toast — bread
  23. pit — a hole
  24. mouse — for a computer

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