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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 · rest · mouse · root · stock · pass · cabinet · club

  1. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. rest — what's left
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. capital — money
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. root — of a plant
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. root — the cause
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. stock — shares
  12. stock — goods
  13. pass — a permit
  14. club — a group
  15. rest — a break
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. club — for golf
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. capital — a city
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. root — of a word
  24. rest — what's left

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