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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: court · staff · bound · stem · capital · stand · face · kick

  1. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. face — to confront
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. bound — obliged
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. stem — to come from
  8. court — of law
  9. stand — to bear
  10. staff — employees
  11. capital — a city
  12. face — to point toward
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. staff — employees
  15. court — of a king
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. staff — a stick
  18. face — part of the head
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. bound — certain
  22. bound — tied together
  23. court — for sport
  24. kick — in football

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