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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 120 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: suit · wake · bound · cue · wind · capital · track · cap

  1. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. bound — certain
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. track — to keep track
  6. cap — of ice
  7. suit — clothes
  8. wind — moving air
  9. wind — moving air
  10. cap — a hat
  11. suit — to fit
  12. track — a path
  13. cue — a hint
  14. cue — for pool
  15. cap — a lid
  16. track — a song
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. bound — tied together
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. wake — a trail
  21. capital — a city
  22. bound — obliged
  23. suit — in cards
  24. capital — money

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