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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 ________________ market has crashed.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. stock — shares
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. net — for catching
  5. mug — to rob
  6. rock — music
  7. bound — tied together
  8. rock — a stone
  9. stock — goods
  10. bound — certain
  11. capital — a city
  12. capital — money
  13. mug — a cup
  14. bound — obliged
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. net — in sport
  17. cue — for pool
  18. mug — a face
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. net — after costs
  21. cue — a hint
  22. cue — a signal
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. temple — side of the head

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