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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 120 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 · stock · cabinet · coach · dip · arm · hand · saw

  1. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. dip — to sink
  5. saw — the tool
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. capital — a city
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. hand — in cards
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. stock — shares
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. capital — money
  18. hand — help
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. saw — the tool
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. stock — goods
  24. stock — a soup base

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