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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: capital · fall · ruler · stock · net · trunk · deal · coach

  1. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. capital — money
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. net — after costs
  6. stock — shares
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. deal — to handle
  9. fall — to drop
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. capital — a city
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. fall — to drop
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. fall — the season
  16. stock — goods
  17. net — in sport
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. net — for catching
  24. trunk — of a car

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