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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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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: fall · scale · kick · stem · land · rule · cue · can

  1. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. scale — in music
  4. land — ground
  5. can — a tin
  6. kick — in football
  7. fall — to drop
  8. fall — the season
  9. cue — a hint
  10. scale — size or range
  11. land — a country
  12. fall — to drop
  13. cue — a signal
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. stem — to come from
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. rule — a law
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. can — a tin
  21. land — to come down
  22. can — to be able to
  23. cue — for pool
  24. scale — for weighing

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