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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: tube · scale · plane · capital · lie · fan · ground · cue

  1. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. ground — the earth
  3. scale — in music
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. capital — a city
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. tube — the underground
  10. ground — crushed
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. ground — a position
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. cue — for pool
  16. lie — to recline
  17. capital — money
  18. plane — a tool
  19. scale — size or range
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. cue — a signal
  22. tube — a container
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. cue — a hint

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