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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: ground · deal · toast · stem · fine · capital · rock · craft

  1. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. fine — high quality
  3. deal — to handle
  4. stem — to come from
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. ground — crushed
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. rock — a stone
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. toast — bread
  12. capital — a city
  13. craft — boats
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. fine — all right
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. capital — money
  19. ground — a position
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. craft — a skill
  22. rock — music
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. ground — the earth

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