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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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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: rest · stick · stock · band · foot · deal · capital · racket

  1. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. rest — what's left
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. rest — what's left
  8. capital — a city
  9. deal — to handle
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. band — a music group
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. stock — shares
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. foot — a measure
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. stock — goods
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. band — a ring
  23. rest — a break
  24. capital — money

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