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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 116 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: board · mark · staff · drill · capital · stem · pound · suit

  1. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. suit — clothes
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. mark — a trace
  6. drill — the tool
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. staff — a stick
  9. stem — to come from
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. board — a committee
  12. board — to get on
  13. mark — a grade
  14. suit — to fit
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. staff — employees
  17. staff — employees
  18. pound — a weight
  19. suit — in cards
  20. drill — a practice
  21. capital — a city
  22. drill — army training
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. capital — money

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