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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: capital · cue · pound · wave · rash · key · track · toast

  1. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. key — the most important part
  3. track — a path
  4. key — in music
  5. cue — for pool
  6. track — a song
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. track — to keep track
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. capital — a city
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. capital — money
  14. cue — a signal
  15. key — for a lock
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. cue — a hint
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. rash — hasty
  20. toast — bread
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. pound — a weight
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. rash — a series

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