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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: toast · jam · ground · cue · dip · capital · fall · tube

  1. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. ground — crushed
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. cue — a signal
  7. fall — to drop
  8. ground — the earth
  9. fall — to drop
  10. fall — the season
  11. ground — a position
  12. capital — money
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. cue — a hint
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. tube — a container
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. capital — a city
  20. dip — to sink
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. cue — for pool
  23. tube — the underground
  24. toast — bread

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