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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: cue · cap · racket · capital · wave · fork

  1. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. fork — in a road
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. cue — a signal
  10. cap — a hat
  11. capital — a city
  12. cue — for pool
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. capital — money
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. cap — of ice
  18. cap — a lid

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