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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: chair · capital · pass · wave · cue · net · pop · mark

  1. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. capital — money
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. pop — soda
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. net — for catching
  7. net — after costs
  8. net — in sport
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. capital — a city
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. cue — a hint
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. pass — a permit
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. cue — for pool
  18. mark — a trace
  19. pop — to visit
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. mark — a grade
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. cue — a signal
  24. chair — a leader

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