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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 116 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: sharp · stand · capital · lie · cap · stem

  1. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. stand — to bear
  4. cap — a hat
  5. sharp — clever
  6. stem — to come from
  7. cap — a lid
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. lie — to recline
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. capital — a city
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. capital — money
  18. cap — of ice

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