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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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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: cabinet · capital · ruler · cue · mate · track · clip · toast

  1. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. mate — a friend
  3. cue — a signal
  4. clip — for paper
  5. track — a song
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. capital — a city
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. mate — to breed
  12. mate — a partner
  13. clip — a video
  14. clip — to cut
  15. track — to keep track
  16. cue — a hint
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. capital — money
  19. toast — bread
  20. track — a path
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. cue — for pool
  24. toast — the most admired

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