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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: suit · stem · fan · chip · capital · bore · calf · trunk

  1. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a city
  2. bore — to drill
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. capital — money
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. chip — for betting
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. suit — in cards
  11. chip — to eat
  12. suit — to fit
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. bore — to tire
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. suit — clothes
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. stem — to come from
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. stem — a stem cell

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