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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.

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 · stand · plane · row · bass · deal · bark · cue

  1. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. cue — for pool
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. cue — a signal
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. bass — the fish
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. capital — a city
  9. cue — a hint
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. row — a line
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. bark — to shout
  18. plane — a tool
  19. deal — to handle
  20. capital — money
  21. stand — to bear
  22. bass — low music
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. row — to paddle

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