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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: capital · scale · track · stock · saw · can · calf · cue

  1. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. capital — a city
  4. saw — the tool
  5. can — a tin
  6. track — a song
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. stock — goods
  9. can — a tin
  10. saw — the tool
  11. track — to keep track
  12. scale — size or range
  13. cue — a hint
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. stock — shares
  17. cue — a signal
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. cue — for pool
  20. track — a path
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. capital — money
  23. can — to be able to
  24. scale — in music

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