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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 ________________ market has crashed.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. can — a tin
  5. bass — low music
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. chip — to eat
  8. can — a tin
  9. can — to be able to
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. bore — to drill
  14. stock — goods
  15. ground — crushed
  16. capital — money
  17. ground — a position
  18. bore — to tire
  19. ground — the earth
  20. chip — for betting
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. bass — the fish
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. capital — a city

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