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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: ruler · rock · stock · mark · capital · kick

  1. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. rock — music
  3. rock — a stone
  4. stock — shares
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. mark — a trace
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. mark — a grade
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. stock — goods
  13. capital — money
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. capital — a city
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. kick — in football

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