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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: capital · kick · stock · present · trunk · nail · saw · chip

  1. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. present — a gift
  3. chip — to eat
  4. saw — the tool
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. stock — shares
  9. capital — a city
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. capital — money
  13. chip — for betting
  14. kick — in football
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. present — the time now
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. stock — goods
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. present — there
  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