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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: date · ruler · face · mug · capital · cue · wake · pass

  1. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. capital — money
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. face — part of the head
  6. cue — a signal
  7. mug — to rob
  8. face — to point toward
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. face — to confront
  12. mug — a face
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. capital — a city
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. cue — for pool
  19. cue — a hint
  20. mug — a cup
  21. wake — a trail
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. pass — a permit
  24. date — the fruit

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