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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: coach · mouse · tube · capital · scale · kick · can · pop

  1. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. tube — the underground
  3. kick — in football
  4. can — a tin
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. tube — a container
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. pop — soda
  11. scale — size or range
  12. scale — in music
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. capital — a city
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. can — a tin
  18. pop — to visit
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. pop — music
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. can — to be able to
  24. capital — money

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