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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. can — a tin
  3. cap — of ice
  4. capital — money
  5. can — a tin
  6. cap — a hat
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. cap — a lid
  11. wake — a trail
  12. capital — a city
  13. snap — to click
  14. can — to be able to
  15. stock — goods
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. 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