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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.

Words on the sheet
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: capital · stem · coach · kick · rock · cue · ball · tube

  1. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. rock — a stone
  3. capital — a city
  4. cue — a hint
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. tube — a container
  10. kick — in football
  11. capital — money
  12. stem — to come from
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. cue — for pool
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. ball — a great time
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. ball — a dance
  21. tube — the underground
  22. rock — music
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. coach — a trainer

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