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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: cue · track · mug · arm · pound · pass · court · capital

  1. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. mug — to rob
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. mug — a cup
  8. cue — for pool
  9. court — of law
  10. track — a song
  11. court — for sport
  12. capital — a city
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. track — to keep track
  15. capital — money
  16. cue — a hint
  17. track — a path
  18. court — of a king
  19. cue — a signal
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. mug — a face
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. pass — a permit

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