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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 supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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. stock — goods
  4. capital — a city
  5. can — a tin
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. bank — of a river
  10. fall — the season
  11. can — to be able to
  12. capital — money
  13. bank — for money
  14. lean — to bend
  15. ball — a dance
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. stock — shares
  18. bank — for money
  19. fall — to drop
  20. fall — to drop
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. ball — a great time
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. lean — thin

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