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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: stem · object · lean · rash · capital · rule · foot · stock

  1. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. rule — a law
  5. stock — shares
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. stock — goods
  9. lean — thin
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. object — to protest
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. capital — a city
  16. object — a thing
  17. capital — money
  18. rash — hasty
  19. object — an aim
  20. lean — to bend
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. rule — government
  23. foot — a measure
  24. rash — a series

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