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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: chair · safe · toast · capital · stock · prune · kick · can

  1. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. chair — a leader
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. capital — money
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. can — a tin
  9. toast — bread
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. prune — to trim
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. can — to be able to
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. stock — shares
  16. can — a tin
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. capital — a city
  21. prune — to trim
  22. kick — in football
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. prune — the fruit

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