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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.

Words on the sheet
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: pitcher · can · capital · stem · rule · hide · rock · kick

  1. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. rule — government
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. can — a tin
  5. capital — money
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. can — to be able to
  11. rock — music
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. kick — in football
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. rock — a stone
  17. can — a tin
  18. capital — a city
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. stem — to come from
  24. rock — to move gently

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