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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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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: craft · capital · stem · mark · wound · cue · ruler · branch

  1. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. cue — a signal
  3. capital — money
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. wound — an injury
  6. stem — to come from
  7. cue — a hint
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. mark — a trace
  11. mark — a grade
  12. capital — a city
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. craft — boats
  15. cue — for pool
  16. branch — a division
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. wound — an injury
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. craft — a skill
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. ruler — a monarch

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