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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.

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: present · capital · rock · dip · lie · pit · ball · stock

  1. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. stock — goods
  3. rock — music
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. capital — a city
  6. present — the time now
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. lie — to recline
  11. ball — a dance
  12. pit — in a race
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. ball — a great time
  16. dip — to sink
  17. stock — shares
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. capital — money
  21. present — there
  22. pit — a hole
  23. rock — a stone
  24. present — a gift

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