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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: bank · current · capital · press · stem · mark · wake · content

  1. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a city
  2. content — happy
  3. press — newspapers
  4. content — the amount
  5. mark — a grade
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. wake — a trail
  9. current — of water
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. current — electric
  13. stem — to come from
  14. bank — for money
  15. current — happening now
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. bank — for money
  18. press — to push
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. press — a publisher
  21. capital — money
  22. mark — a trace
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. bank — of a river

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