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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 · ruler · stem · firm · craft · spring · object · staff

  1. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a city
  2. craft — a skill
  3. spring — a coil
  4. spring — of water
  5. spring — the season
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. firm — steady
  8. object — to protest
  9. object — a thing
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. staff — a stick
  12. craft — boats
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. stem — to come from
  15. staff — employees
  16. staff — employees
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. firm — a company
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. object — an aim
  23. capital — money
  24. firm — decided

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