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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: staff · kick · mark · wake · capital · stock · temple · prune

  1. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. stock — goods
  6. capital — money
  7. stock — shares
  8. prune — to trim
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. mark — a trace
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. wake — a trail
  14. staff — employees
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. staff — employees
  17. capital — a city
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. kick — in football
  20. staff — a stick
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. prune — to trim
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. mark — a grade

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