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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 · pop · bulb · capital · arm · patient · last · suit

  1. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. pop — soda
  4. bulb — for light
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. pop — to visit
  8. capital — money
  9. pop — music
  10. last — to go on
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. last — finally
  13. suit — clothes
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. capital — a city
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. stem — to come from
  20. bulb — for light
  21. suit — in cards
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. last — final
  24. arm — part of the body

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