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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: firm · leaves · calf · stock · capital · stem · wound · bank

  1. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. capital — a city
  3. bank — for money
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. stock — shares
  7. firm — a company
  8. stock — goods
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. wound — an injury
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. bank — of a river
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. wound — an injury
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. firm — steady
  18. stem — to come from
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. bank — for money
  22. firm — decided
  23. capital — money
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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