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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: land · tube · press · track · cue · scale · capital · rock

  1. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. tube — the underground
  3. track — a song
  4. tube — a container
  5. capital — a city
  6. cue — a hint
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. press — newspapers
  9. capital — money
  10. scale — in music
  11. land — to come down
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. track — to keep track
  14. scale — size or range
  15. press — a publisher
  16. land — ground
  17. cue — for pool
  18. rock — a stone
  19. rock — music
  20. cue — a signal
  21. press — to push
  22. land — a country
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. scale — for weighing

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