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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.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: trunk · kick · stock · press · rule · capital

  1. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. rule — a law
  3. capital — a city
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. press — a publisher
  6. kick — in football
  7. press — newspapers
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. stock — goods
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. rule — government
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. capital — money
  16. press — to push
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. capital — a big letter

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