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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: last · bound · cue · mug · capital · band · sharp · mouse

  1. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. last — finally
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. cue — a signal
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. cue — a hint
  7. bound — certain
  8. mug — a face
  9. band — a ring
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. cue — for pool
  12. last — final
  13. band — a music group
  14. mug — a cup
  15. capital — a city
  16. mug — to rob
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. bound — tied together
  19. bound — obliged
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. last — to go on
  22. sharp — clever
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. capital — 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