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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: capital · tube · trunk · stem · bay · bank · cue · prune

  1. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. cue — a signal
  3. bank — for money
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. bank — for money
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. stem — to come from
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. bank — of a river
  13. tube — a container
  14. prune — to trim
  15. cue — a hint
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. capital — money
  21. prune — to trim
  22. cue — for pool
  23. capital — a city
  24. tube — the underground

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