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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: ball · cue · bowl · press · stock · tube · file · capital

  1. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. press — newspapers
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. press — a publisher
  5. cue — a signal
  6. tube — the underground
  7. file — a tool
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. cue — a hint
  10. capital — a city
  11. press — to push
  12. stock — goods
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. stock — shares
  15. file — a document
  16. capital — money
  17. file — a line of people
  18. cue — for pool
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. ball — a dance
  21. ball — a great time
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. tube — a container
  24. bowl — a dish

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