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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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468
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: stock · stem · wax · capital · suit · stick · rash · kid

  1. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. rash — hasty
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. wax — to grow
  5. kid — child
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. stock — goods
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. rash — a series
  14. capital — a city
  15. suit — in cards
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. suit — to fit
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. capital — money
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. stock — shares
  23. kid — to tease
  24. stem — to come from

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