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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 120 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: face · stem · stand · mate · capital · object · net · pop

  1. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. net — for catching
  4. object — a thing
  5. face — part of the head
  6. mate — to breed
  7. object — an aim
  8. mate — a partner
  9. capital — a city
  10. object — to protest
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. net — in sport
  14. pop — soda
  15. face — to confront
  16. mate — a friend
  17. net — after costs
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. capital — money
  20. face — to point toward
  21. pop — to visit
  22. pop — music
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. stand — to bear

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