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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. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a city
  2. stock — goods
  3. tear — from crying
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. suit — in cards
  8. suit — clothes
  9. cell — a phone
  10. tear — to rip
  11. stock — shares
  12. cell — in biology
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. capital — money
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. board — a committee
  18. tear — from crying
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. board — to get on
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. suit — to fit

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