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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: jam · court · bound · stock · wave · hide · capital · nail

  1. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  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. capital — a big letter
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. court — for sport
  4. capital — a city
  5. stock — shares
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. stock — goods
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. court — of a king
  11. capital — money
  12. bound — tied together
  13. court — of law
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. bound — obliged
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. bound — certain
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. nail — for a hammer
  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