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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: bowl · capital · stem · last · scale · mug · land · stick

  1. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. capital — a city
  3. capital — money
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. mug — a face
  7. last — finally
  8. land — ground
  9. scale — in music
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. land — a country
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. mug — to rob
  14. last — to go on
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. scale — size or range
  17. stem — to come from
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. land — to come down
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. last — final
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. mug — a cup

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