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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 beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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. stock — goods
  4. bank — of a river
  5. cue — a signal
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. cue — a hint
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. cue — for pool
  11. bulb — for light
  12. capital — money
  13. capital — a city
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. bank — for money
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. bulb — for light
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. pass — a permit
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. bank — for money

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