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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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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 · capital · rock · scale · vault · shower · mate · cap

  1. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. capital — money
  3. scale — size or range
  4. shower — rain
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. cap — a hat
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. cap — of ice
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. rock — music
  11. vault — a safe
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. scale — in music
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. cap — a lid
  17. mate — a friend
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. mate — a partner
  20. shower — to wash
  21. rock — a stone
  22. mate — to breed
  23. capital — a city
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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