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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: last · mark · capital · mug · stem · ground · net · bowl

  1. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. ground — the earth
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. capital — a city
  5. mug — a face
  6. mark — a grade
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. ground — crushed
  10. mug — a cup
  11. mark — a trace
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. net — for catching
  14. last — to go on
  15. net — in sport
  16. net — after costs
  17. last — final
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. capital — money
  20. last — finally
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. ground — a position
  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