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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: bore · pass · stock · pop · hide · branch · mark · capital

  1. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. pop — soda
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. branch — a division
  6. capital — money
  7. capital — a city
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. mark — a grade
  10. stock — goods
  11. stock — shares
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. pop — to visit
  15. mark — a trace
  16. pop — music
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. bore — to drill
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. pass — a permit
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. bore — to tire

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