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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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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: stock · tear · pass · firm · chair · cabinet · kick · capital

  1. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. firm — a company
  5. firm — steady
  6. capital — a city
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. capital — money
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. tear — to rip
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. tear — from crying
  13. stock — shares
  14. firm — decided
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. stock — goods
  18. kick — in football
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. chair — a leader
  22. tear — from crying
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. chair — a professorship

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