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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.

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: tube · stick · capital · plane · stem · mouse · scale · bound

  1. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. bound — certain
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. capital — a city
  5. stem — to come from
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. bound — tied together
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. tube — the underground
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. bound — obliged
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. scale — in music
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. plane — a tool
  19. scale — size or range
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. capital — money
  24. tube — a container

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