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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 120 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: bank · present · cue · capital · rest · game · track · dip

  1. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. rest — what's left
  3. bank — of a river
  4. present — the time now
  5. present — a gift
  6. rest — a break
  7. present — there
  8. bank — for money
  9. game — wild animals
  10. dip — to sink
  11. track — a song
  12. track — a path
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. capital — a city
  16. track — to keep track
  17. cue — for pool
  18. game — a match
  19. capital — money
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. cue — a signal
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. cue — a hint
  24. bank — for money

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