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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · suit · pitcher · stem · wound · snap · track · cue

  1. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. wound — an injury
  3. track — a path
  4. capital — a city
  5. snap — to click
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. suit — to fit
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. track — a song
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. wound — an injury
  13. cue — for pool
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. cue — a hint
  16. suit — in cards
  17. cue — a signal
  18. capital — money
  19. track — to keep track
  20. stem — to come from
  21. suit — clothes
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. pitcher — a jug

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