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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: can · rash · capital · nail · pass · pitch · stem · rock

  1. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. rash — hasty
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. pass — a permit
  8. rock — a stone
  9. stem — to come from
  10. can — a tin
  11. can — a tin
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. rock — music
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. capital — a city
  17. rash — a series
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. pitch — completely
  24. can — to be able to

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