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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: track · cue · capital · jam · game · suit · mouse · net

  1. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. track — a path
  3. track — a song
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. capital — a city
  6. cue — for pool
  7. track — to keep track
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. cue — a hint
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. net — for catching
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. cue — a signal
  17. game — a match
  18. suit — clothes
  19. net — after costs
  20. net — in sport
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. capital — money
  23. suit — in cards
  24. suit — to fit

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