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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 · bulb · bowl · capital · rash · wake · firm · scale

  1. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. firm — a company
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. rash — hasty
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. rash — a series
  11. firm — decided
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. bulb — for light
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. bulb — for light
  16. scale — size or range
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. scale — in music
  20. firm — steady
  21. capital — money
  22. capital — a city
  23. wake — a trail
  24. stem — to come from

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