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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 · stem · coach · bay · game · current · rock · temple

  1. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. current — electric
  3. capital — a city
  4. rock — music
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. current — of water
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. stem — to come from
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. capital — money
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. game — a match
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. current — happening now
  18. game — wild animals
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. rock — a stone
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. stem — of a plant

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