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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: cap · current · capital · jam · suit · mark · lie · stem

  1. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. current — of water
  3. stem — to come from
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. lie — to recline
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. mark — a trace
  8. mark — a grade
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. cap — a hat
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. capital — a city
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. suit — clothes
  15. current — electric
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. cap — a lid
  20. current — happening now
  21. suit — to fit
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. capital — money
  24. cap — of ice

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