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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 · key · rest · kick · branch · capital · ball · chest

  1. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. ball — a dance
  3. ball — a great time
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. chest — of your body
  6. cue — a signal
  7. cue — for pool
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. rest — what's left
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. key — in music
  12. key — for a lock
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. key — the most important part
  15. branch — a division
  16. capital — money
  17. chest — a box
  18. capital — a city
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. rest — a break
  21. rest — what's left
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. cue — a hint
  24. chest — of your body

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