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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: mate · court · rush · capital · roll · wake · band · wave

  1. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  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. roll — on a roll
  2. mate — to breed
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. wake — a trail
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. court — of a king
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. court — of law
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. court — for sport
  15. roll — a list
  16. mate — a partner
  17. capital — a city
  18. mate — a friend
  19. rush — hurry
  20. band — a music group
  21. capital — money
  22. roll — a cake
  23. band — a ring
  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