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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. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. pass — a permit
  3. net — in sport
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. net — after costs
  10. stock — shares
  11. bank — for money
  12. ground — a position
  13. capital — a city
  14. bank — for money
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. ground — the earth
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. ground — crushed
  21. net — for catching
  22. bank — of a river
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. stock — goods

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