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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 120 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: file · firm · vault · spring · capital · stem · suit · pitch

  1. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. spring — the season
  4. suit — clothes
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. spring — a coil
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. suit — in cards
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. spring — of water
  12. file — a line of people
  13. pitch — completely
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. firm — decided
  17. suit — to fit
  18. capital — a city
  19. capital — money
  20. vault — a safe
  21. file — a document
  22. firm — a company
  23. firm — steady
  24. file — a tool

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