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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: wave · capital · tube · mouse · bowl · suit · track · dip

  1. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. tube — the underground
  4. capital — a city
  5. suit — to fit
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. tube — a container
  9. dip — to sink
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. suit — clothes
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. track — a path
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. track — to keep track
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. suit — in cards
  24. track — a song

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