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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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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: game · capital · stem · band · stick · chest · mug · key

  1. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. mug — a cup
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. key — in music
  6. band — a music group
  7. game — a match
  8. key — for a lock
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. capital — money
  11. chest — a box
  12. chest — of your body
  13. mug — to rob
  14. stem — to come from
  15. key — the most important part
  16. game — wild animals
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. chest — of your body
  20. mug — a face
  21. band — a ring
  22. capital — a city
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. capital — a big letter

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