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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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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: racket · capital · wake · ground · bore · stock · current · plane

  1. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. current — electric
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. ground — a position
  7. current — of water
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. wake — a trail
  10. bore — to drill
  11. capital — money
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. ground — the earth
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. ground — crushed
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. bore — to tire
  18. stock — shares
  19. plane — a tool
  20. capital — a city
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. current — happening now
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. stock — goods

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