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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. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. stock — shares
  3. stock — goods
  4. court — of a king
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. stem — to come from
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. fall — the season
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. fall — to drop
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. court — for sport
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. court — of law
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. capital — a city
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. fall — to drop

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