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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: stem · stick · capital · bowl · date · racket · wake · calf

  1. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. capital — a city
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. stem — to come from
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. wake — a trail
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. date — the fruit

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