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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: mark · mate · bowl · bass · toast · capital · roll · cue

  1. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. cue — a hint
  4. bass — the fish
  5. mark — a grade
  6. capital — a city
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. cue — for pool
  10. mate — a partner
  11. bass — low music
  12. roll — a list
  13. cue — a signal
  14. mate — a friend
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. mate — to breed
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. toast — bread
  21. roll — a cake
  22. capital — money
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. mark — a trace

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