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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. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. capital — money
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. bore — to tire
  6. ground — a position
  7. suit — in cards
  8. toast — bread
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. prune — to trim
  12. capital — a city
  13. ground — the earth
  14. suit — clothes
  15. face — to confront
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. face — to point toward
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. ground — crushed
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. bore — to drill
  22. face — part of the head
  23. prune — to trim
  24. suit — to fit

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