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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: capital · stem · bore · firm · fall · kick · mouse · field

  1. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. field — for sport
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. capital — money
  7. field — a subject
  8. fall — the season
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. firm — decided
  11. fall — to drop
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. firm — steady
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. kick — in football
  16. field — farmland
  17. firm — a company
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. bore — to tire
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. capital — a city
  22. bore — to drill
  23. stem — to come from
  24. fall — to drop

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