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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 120 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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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: cap · capital · object · nail · scale · race · stem · rule

  1. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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 big letter
  3. cap — of ice
  4. object — to protest
  5. race — a contest
  6. rule — a law
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. scale — size or range
  9. scale — in music
  10. race — the arms race
  11. rule — government
  12. stem — to come from
  13. object — a thing
  14. capital — money
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. cap — a hat
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. race — humankind
  19. capital — a city
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. object — an aim
  23. cap — a lid
  24. scale — for weighing

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