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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 116 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
468
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: racket · capital · lean · trunk · club · fork · stock · rash

  1. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. stock — goods
  5. stock — shares
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. rash — hasty
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. fork — in a road
  10. club — for dancing
  11. lean — to bend
  12. capital — money
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. capital — a city
  16. lean — thin
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. club — a group
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. club — for golf
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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