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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.

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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: capital · cue · scale · object · pitcher · chest · firm · leaves

  1. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. capital — a city
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. object — a thing
  5. chest — of your body
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. scale — in music
  8. cue — for pool
  9. cue — a signal
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. chest — a box
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. capital — money
  14. object — an aim
  15. firm — decided
  16. object — to protest
  17. cue — a hint
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. firm — a company
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. firm — steady
  23. scale — size or range
  24. chest — of your body

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