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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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. net — in sport
  3. capital — a city
  4. tear — from crying
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. net — after costs
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. tear — to rip
  11. tear — from crying
  12. cap — a hat
  13. stock — shares
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. mug — to rob
  16. net — for catching
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. cap — of ice
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. mug — a cup
  21. stock — goods
  22. rush — hurry
  23. capital — money
  24. mug — a face

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