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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: stock · capital · lean · board · calf · wake · toast · current

  1. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. board — a committee
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. stock — goods
  7. current — electric
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. current — of water
  11. toast — bread
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. capital — a city
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. board — to get on
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. capital — money
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. lean — to bend
  20. current — happening now
  21. wake — a trail
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. stock — shares
  24. toast — the most admired

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