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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: nail · mark · fine · press · capital · stand · stock · calf

  1. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. fine — all right
  4. mark — a trace
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. capital — money
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. stock — shares
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. fine — high quality
  14. mark — a grade
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. press — a publisher
  17. stock — goods
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. stand — to bear
  21. press — newspapers
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. capital — a city
  24. press — to push

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