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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: mate · stick · track · last · capital · kick · tube · stem

  1. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  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. kick — a thrill
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. tube — a container
  6. track — to keep track
  7. capital — a city
  8. mate — a friend
  9. tube — the underground
  10. capital — money
  11. track — a path
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. track — a song
  15. last — finally
  16. stem — to come from
  17. mate — to breed
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. last — to go on
  20. last — final
  21. mate — a partner
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. kick — in football
  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