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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: fall · stem · suit · face · ball · patient · capital · chip

  1. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  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. capital — a city
  2. ball — a dance
  3. face — part of the head
  4. stem — to come from
  5. face — to confront
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. suit — to fit
  8. chip — for betting
  9. fall — the season
  10. fall — to drop
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. suit — in cards
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. chip — to eat
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. face — to point toward
  18. suit — clothes
  19. fall — to drop
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. ball — a great time
  23. capital — a big letter
  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