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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: field · lie · cap · stock · bowl · capital · bay · stem

  1. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. field — farmland
  7. capital — a city
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. cap — a hat
  10. lie — to recline
  11. capital — money
  12. stock — shares
  13. field — for sport
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. cap — a lid
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. stem — to come from
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. field — a subject
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. stock — goods
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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