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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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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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. current — happening now
  3. tube — the underground
  4. cap — a lid
  5. stock — shares
  6. capital — a city
  7. craft — boats
  8. cap — a hat
  9. capital — money
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. craft — a skill
  16. rock — music
  17. cap — of ice
  18. stock — goods
  19. tube — a container
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. current — electric
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. current — of water
  24. stem — to come from

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