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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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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: toast · swing · content · cue · race · key · bank · capital

  1. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. toast — bread
  3. cue — for pool
  4. content — the amount
  5. swing — to play on
  6. cue — a hint
  7. content — happy
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. capital — money
  10. swing — in golf
  11. race — humankind
  12. cue — a signal
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. key — for a lock
  15. capital — a city
  16. swing — music
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. bank — for money
  19. key — the most important part
  20. race — the arms race
  21. key — in music
  22. bank — of a river
  23. bank — for money
  24. race — a contest

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