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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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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: prune · last · capital · fall · cue · stand · bank · bat

  1. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. cue — for pool
  3. bank — for money
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. cue — a hint
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. prune — to trim
  9. last — to go on
  10. stand — to bear
  11. bat — the animal
  12. fall — to drop
  13. cue — a signal
  14. capital — a city
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. fall — to drop
  18. last — finally
  19. last — final
  20. bank — for money
  21. bank — of a river
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. capital — money
  24. prune — to trim

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