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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: foot · stem · capital · mine · cabinet · wave · rock · jam

  1. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. rock — music
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. stem — to come from
  15. mine — for digging
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. capital — a city
  18. foot — a measure
  19. capital — money
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. rock — a stone
  24. rock — to move gently

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