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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: stem · capital · ground · mouse · stand · face · file · cue

  1. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. cue — for pool
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. stem — to come from
  6. cue — a hint
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. capital — a city
  9. cue — a signal
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. ground — the earth
  13. face — part of the head
  14. file — a document
  15. stand — to bear
  16. capital — money
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. file — a line of people
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. ground — a position
  21. face — to confront
  22. ground — crushed
  23. face — to point toward
  24. mouse — the animal

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