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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: suit · ball · game · capital · wound · scale · stock · pit

  1. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. scale — in music
  5. game — wild animals
  6. scale — size or range
  7. wound — an injury
  8. ball — a dance
  9. capital — money
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. suit — clothes
  12. pit — in a race
  13. pit — a hole
  14. game — a match
  15. ball — a great time
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. stock — goods
  18. stock — shares
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. suit — in cards
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. suit — to fit
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. capital — a city

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