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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. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. stock — goods
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. last — final
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. capital — money
  8. last — to go on
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. last — finally
  11. pass — a permit
  12. capital — a city
  13. stem — to come from
  14. fork — in a road
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. stock — shares
  24. fork — to eat with

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