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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: scale · fork · capital · roll · tube · ball · row · stand

  1. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. ball — a great time
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. tube — the underground
  6. scale — size or range
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. roll — a list
  9. stand — to bear
  10. roll — a cake
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. capital — a city
  13. tube — a container
  14. scale — in music
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. row — to paddle
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. capital — money
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. fork — in a road
  23. ball — a dance
  24. row — a line

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