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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: rash · capital · cue · toast · nail · ball · stem · mate

  1. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. capital — money
  5. mate — a partner
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. cue — for pool
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. rash — hasty
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. ball — a dance
  13. cue — a signal
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. mate — to breed
  16. capital — a city
  17. rash — a series
  18. cue — a hint
  19. toast — bread
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. ball — a great time
  22. stem — to come from
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. mate — a friend

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