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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: rest · track · key · bass · capital · net · fan · cue

  1. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. net — for catching
  5. cue — a hint
  6. capital — money
  7. rest — what's left
  8. bass — the fish
  9. net — after costs
  10. key — for a lock
  11. track — a path
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. rest — what's left
  14. capital — a city
  15. track — a song
  16. key — the most important part
  17. rest — a break
  18. key — in music
  19. net — in sport
  20. track — to keep track
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. cue — a signal
  23. bass — low music
  24. fan — a supporter

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