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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: roll · object · toast · mark · capital · lie · cue · band

  1. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. object — a thing
  3. cue — for pool
  4. lie — to recline
  5. roll — a cake
  6. mark — a trace
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. mark — a grade
  9. band — a ring
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. capital — a city
  14. cue — a signal
  15. capital — money
  16. roll — a list
  17. object — to protest
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. object — an aim
  20. band — a music group
  21. cue — a hint
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. band — a rubber band

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