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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: scale · bank · stem · capital · file · tube · cue · deal

  1. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. cue — for pool
  3. cue — a hint
  4. tube — the underground
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. scale — in music
  7. cue — a signal
  8. deal — to handle
  9. capital — a city
  10. file — a document
  11. stem — to come from
  12. scale — size or range
  13. bank — of a river
  14. capital — money
  15. file — a line of people
  16. bank — for money
  17. file — a tool
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. bank — for money
  23. tube — a container
  24. stem — of a plant

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