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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: mate · net · stem · cap · cabinet · capital · patient · bear

  1. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. cap — of ice
  3. net — after costs
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. capital — money
  9. mate — a friend
  10. net — for catching
  11. cap — a lid
  12. bear — the animal
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. stem — to come from
  17. mate — to breed
  18. cap — a hat
  19. net — in sport
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. capital — a city
  22. bear — the animal
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. mate — a partner

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