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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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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 · cue · land · stand · deal · capital · band · rock

  1. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. toast — bread
  3. deal — to handle
  4. land — a country
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. stand — to bear
  8. cue — a hint
  9. band — a music group
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. capital — money
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. cue — for pool
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. rock — a stone
  17. land — to come down
  18. rock — music
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. land — ground
  21. capital — a city
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. band — a ring
  24. cue — a signal

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