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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: capital · saw · wake · band · press · track · cue · club

  1. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. band — a ring
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. capital — money
  6. band — a music group
  7. track — a song
  8. capital — a city
  9. saw — the tool
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. track — to keep track
  12. wake — a trail
  13. press — a publisher
  14. press — newspapers
  15. track — a path
  16. club — for dancing
  17. cue — for pool
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. cue — a signal
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. club — a group
  22. club — for golf
  23. cue — a hint
  24. press — to push

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