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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: foot · cap · tube · date · stock · stand · spring · kick

  1. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. spring — of water
  3. tube — the underground
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. cap — a hat
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. kick — in football
  9. tube — a container
  10. spring — a coil
  11. stock — shares
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. cap — of ice
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. date — the fruit
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. foot — a measure
  20. stock — goods
  21. spring — the season
  22. stand — to bear
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. tube — in a tire

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