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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: staff · wound · capital · stem · cap · season · scale · fork

  1. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. fork — in a road
  3. staff — a stick
  4. wound — an injury
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. scale — size or range
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. season — of the year
  10. stem — to come from
  11. season — in sport
  12. cap — of ice
  13. scale — in music
  14. cap — a lid
  15. capital — a city
  16. staff — employees
  17. capital — money
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. staff — employees
  22. wound — an injury
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. fork — a garden 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