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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 116 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: ruler · track · capital · staff · firm · calf · cue · stem

  1. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. cue — for pool
  4. stem — to come from
  5. cue — a signal
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. staff — employees
  8. firm — a company
  9. firm — steady
  10. track — a song
  11. staff — a stick
  12. capital — money
  13. track — to keep track
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. staff — employees
  16. firm — decided
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. track — a path
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. capital — a city
  21. cue — a hint
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. stem — a stem cell

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