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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 120 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 supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. stock — shares
  6. capital — a city
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. capital — money
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. cap — a hat
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. cap — of ice
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. cap — a lid
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. snap — to click
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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