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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: wound · capital · stand · season · pitch · stem · safe · straw

  1. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. capital — a city
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. wound — an injury
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. season — of the year
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. stem — to come from
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. pitch — completely
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. season — in sport
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. capital — money
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. stand — to bear
  23. wound — an injury
  24. safe — out of danger

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