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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: stem · clip · bulb · bore · mark · rock · suit · capital

  1. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. stem — to come from
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. clip — to cut
  5. mark — a trace
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. capital — money
  8. bulb — for light
  9. suit — to fit
  10. bore — to tire
  11. bore — to drill
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. capital — a city
  14. rock — a stone
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. suit — in cards
  17. mark — a grade
  18. clip — a video
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. suit — clothes
  22. bulb — for light
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. clip — for paper

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