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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 116 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: press · capital · suit · pass · stock · craft · patient · stem

  1. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. craft — a skill
  3. suit — in cards
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. craft — boats
  7. stock — goods
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. suit — to fit
  10. press — to push
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. capital — money
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. stock — shares
  16. press — a publisher
  17. press — newspapers
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. suit — clothes
  20. pass — a permit
  21. capital — a city
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. stem — to come from

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