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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. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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. bat — in an idiom
  4. stock — shares
  5. craft — a skill
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. lie — to recline
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. capital — money
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. season — in sport
  14. season — of the year
  15. craft — boats
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. object — an aim
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. object — a thing
  21. bat — the animal
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. object — to protest

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