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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: capital · fine · stem · racket · bulb · wave · date · net

  1. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. fine — all right
  3. net — after costs
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. fine — high quality
  6. bulb — for light
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. capital — a city
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. capital — money
  12. date — the fruit
  13. net — in sport
  14. bulb — for light
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. stem — to come from
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. net — for catching
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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