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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
468
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: board · wake · stem · stock · lash · scale · capital · toast

  1. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. stock — goods
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. capital — a city
  5. board — a committee
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. stem — to come from
  10. stock — shares
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. scale — in music
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. wake — a trail
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. scale — size or range
  21. board — to get on
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. capital — money
  24. toast — bread

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