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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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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: cue · lean · temple · tube · capital · board · track · scale

  1. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  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. track — a path
  2. track — a song
  3. board — to get on
  4. tube — the underground
  5. board — a committee
  6. tube — a container
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. cue — a signal
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. cue — for pool
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. cue — a hint
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. scale — in music
  16. lean — thin
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. scale — size or range
  19. track — to keep track
  20. capital — money
  21. lean — to bend
  22. capital — a city
  23. temple — a place of worship
  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