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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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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: rest · capital · cue · wake · stand · tube · fork · toast

  1. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. stand — to bear
  3. rest — what's left
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. toast — bread
  6. cue — for pool
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. wake — a trail
  14. capital — money
  15. rest — a break
  16. fork — in a road
  17. rest — what's left
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. capital — a city
  20. cue — a signal
  21. tube — a container
  22. tube — the underground
  23. cue — a hint
  24. wake — before a funeral

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