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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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Word bank
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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: track · capital · stem · bowl · calf · lie

  1. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a city
  2. lie — to recline
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. track — to keep track
  9. stem — to come from
  10. track — a song
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. capital — money
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. track — a path

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