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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: board · pop · stem · craft · capital · rule

  1. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. pop — to visit
  3. craft — a skill
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. capital — a city
  6. pop — soda
  7. board — a committee
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. craft — boats
  10. stem — to come from
  11. board — to get on
  12. capital — money
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. rule — government
  17. pop — music
  18. board — a flat piece

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