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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: current · object · stem · kid · cap · capital · staff · calf

  1. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. kid — child
  3. object — an aim
  4. object — a thing
  5. cap — a hat
  6. cap — of ice
  7. cap — a lid
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. capital — a city
  10. kid — to tease
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. staff — employees
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. current — electric
  16. staff — employees
  17. object — to protest
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. current — of water
  21. stem — to come from
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. current — happening now
  24. capital — money

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