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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: stem · pound · stock · suit · capital · face · chip · bulb

  1. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. stock — goods
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. stem — to come from
  6. capital — money
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. face — to confront
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. chip — to eat
  12. bulb — for light
  13. face — to point toward
  14. suit — in cards
  15. chip — for betting
  16. suit — clothes
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. capital — a city
  20. suit — to fit
  21. pound — a weight
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. face — part of the head
  24. stock — shares

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