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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 120 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: capital · object · pit · stock · mark · rush · rest · saw

  1. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. capital — money
  3. mark — a grade
  4. object — to protest
  5. saw — the tool
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. stock — shares
  11. mark — a trace
  12. capital — a city
  13. pit — in a race
  14. object — a thing
  15. object — an aim
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. rest — a break
  18. stock — goods
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. saw — the tool
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. rest — what's left
  23. pit — a hole
  24. rest — what's left

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