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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 · wax · cue · scale · charge · cabinet · prune · squash

  1. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. scale — size or range
  7. charge — a price
  8. cue — a hint
  9. prune — to trim
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. charge — electricity
  13. capital — a city
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. charge — in control
  18. wax — to grow
  19. cue — for pool
  20. scale — in music
  21. cue — a signal
  22. prune — to trim
  23. squash — to crush
  24. squash — the sport

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