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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: rock · lean · mark · capital · rush · rest · cue · net

  1. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. rest — what's left
  3. cue — for pool
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. cue — a hint
  7. rest — what's left
  8. net — after costs
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. mark — a grade
  11. net — in sport
  12. mark — a trace
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. lean — thin
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. net — for catching
  17. rock — music
  18. capital — a city
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. cue — a signal
  21. rock — a stone
  22. rest — a break
  23. lean — to bend
  24. rush — hurry

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