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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: content · firm · fan · current · rash · stem · mark · capital

  1. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. firm — decided
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. mark — a grade
  11. capital — a city
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. mark — a trace
  14. current — of water
  15. capital — money
  16. firm — steady
  17. firm — a company
  18. content — the amount
  19. current — happening now
  20. stem — to come from
  21. current — electric
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. content — happy
  24. rash — hasty

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