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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. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. stock — goods
  3. can — to be able to
  4. can — a tin
  5. object — an aim
  6. can — a tin
  7. spell — letters
  8. stock — shares
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. rock — a stone
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. object — to protest
  13. spell — a short time
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. wake — a trail
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. spell — magic
  19. band — a ring
  20. object — a thing
  21. rock — music
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. capital — a city
  24. band — a music group

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