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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: pop · current · capital · cue · toast · vault · spring · mug

  1. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. spring — the season
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. capital — money
  7. pop — soda
  8. capital — a city
  9. pop — to visit
  10. mug — a face
  11. mug — to rob
  12. cue — a hint
  13. spring — of water
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. current — of water
  16. current — happening now
  17. mug — a cup
  18. cue — for pool
  19. current — electric
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. pop — music
  22. spring — a coil
  23. vault — a safe
  24. cue — a signal

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