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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: scale · present · capital · bore · stock · firm · nail · rule

  1. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. firm — decided
  5. capital — a city
  6. firm — steady
  7. rule — government
  8. scale — in music
  9. bore — to tire
  10. stock — goods
  11. firm — a company
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. bore — to drill
  14. scale — size or range
  15. capital — money
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. stock — shares
  19. present — there
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. present — the time now
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. present — a gift
  24. nail — on a finger

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