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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. cue — for pool
  3. capital — a city
  4. scale — size or range
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. capital — money
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. cue — a signal
  9. ball — a great time
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. roll — a cake
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. branch — a division
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. roll — a list
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. cue — a hint
  22. ball — a dance
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. capital — a big letter

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