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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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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 · bank · lash · prune · band · cabinet · firm · capital

  1. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  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 — a city
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. cue — for pool
  4. firm — a company
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. firm — steady
  7. firm — decided
  8. capital — money
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. cue — a hint
  12. band — a ring
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. bank — of a river
  16. bank — for money
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. bank — for money
  20. prune — to trim
  21. prune — to trim
  22. band — a music group
  23. cue — a signal
  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