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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: mate · snap · capital · stock · kick · fine · scale · craft

  1. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. craft — boats
  6. capital — a city
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. stock — goods
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. fine — all right
  13. stock — shares
  14. mate — a partner
  15. craft — a skill
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. scale — in music
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. fine — high quality
  20. kick — in football
  21. mate — a friend
  22. capital — money
  23. scale — size or range
  24. snap — to click

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