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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 120 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: cue · stem · mark · pop · fine · ball · capital · stand

  1. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. pop — music
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. pop — soda
  6. fine — all right
  7. cue — for pool
  8. stem — to come from
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. ball — a great time
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. cue — a hint
  14. cue — a signal
  15. stand — to bear
  16. pop — to visit
  17. mark — a grade
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. mark — a trace
  20. ball — a dance
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. capital — a city
  23. fine — high quality
  24. capital — a big letter

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