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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: capital · deal · wake · spring · bowl · stem · fine · suit

  1. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a city
  2. suit — clothes
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. spring — of water
  8. stem — to come from
  9. fine — all right
  10. capital — money
  11. deal — to handle
  12. fine — high quality
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. spring — the season
  17. wake — a trail
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. suit — to fit
  23. suit — in cards
  24. spring — a coil

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