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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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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: nail · capital · pound · stem · racket · stick · spell · fork

  1. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. fork — in a road
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. capital — money
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. capital — a city
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. spell — letters
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. spell — magic
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. stem — to come from
  22. spell — a short time
  23. pound — a weight
  24. stem — of a plant

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