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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: bore · tube · capital · straw · rock · staff · scale · trunk

  1. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. tube — a container
  4. scale — in music
  5. capital — money
  6. staff — employees
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. rock — a stone
  9. staff — employees
  10. capital — a city
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. bore — to tire
  15. rock — music
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. tube — the underground
  18. scale — size or range
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. bore — to drill

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