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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.

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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: swing · racket · stand · capital · firm · perch · stock · suit

  1. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a city
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. stock — goods
  4. stand — to bear
  5. stock — shares
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. firm — decided
  9. swing — music
  10. suit — to fit
  11. firm — a company
  12. swing — in golf
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. suit — clothes
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. perch — the fish
  19. swing — to play on
  20. firm — steady
  21. suit — in cards
  22. capital — money
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. stand — on your feet

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