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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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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: capital · stock · ground · coach · wave · pass

  1. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. stock — shares
  3. ground — crushed
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. capital — a city
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. capital — money
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. ground — a position
  13. ground — the earth
  14. stock — goods
  15. pass — a permit
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. stock — a soup base

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