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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: cabinet · perch · mouse · net · track · capital · cue · march

  1. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. net — after costs
  5. track — to keep track
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. capital — money
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. net — in sport
  11. cue — for pool
  12. track — a song
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. capital — a city
  16. march — the month
  17. march — music
  18. perch — the fish
  19. net — for catching
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. cue — a signal
  22. track — a path
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. march — the month

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