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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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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: scale · saw · plane · bear · capital · staff · tube · band

  1. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. capital — money
  3. bear — the animal
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. bear — the animal
  6. capital — a city
  7. saw — the tool
  8. band — a music group
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. band — a ring
  14. staff — employees
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. plane — a tool
  17. staff — a stick
  18. tube — the underground
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. scale — size or range
  21. saw — the tool
  22. scale — in music
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. staff — employees

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