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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. ground — a position
  4. capital — money
  5. ground — crushed
  6. roll — a list
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. current — electric
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. current — happening now
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. ground — the earth
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. capital — a city
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. stem — to come from
  19. roll — a cake
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. current — of water
  24. stand — to bear

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