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

Word bank: stem · object · cabinet · capital · court · race

  1. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. race — a contest
  3. capital — a city
  4. stem — to come from
  5. object — an aim
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. object — a thing
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. object — to protest
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. court — of law
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. race — humankind
  16. court — for sport
  17. race — the arms race
  18. capital — money

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