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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. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. capital — a city
  7. stem — to come from
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. bound — obliged
  10. capital — money
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. march — music
  13. land — a country
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. bound — certain
  16. court — of a king
  17. dip — to sink
  18. march — the month
  19. court — of law
  20. land — ground
  21. march — the month
  22. land — to come down
  23. bound — tied together
  24. court — for sport

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