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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 116 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: object · capital · cap · band · fine · stock · wave · pass

  1. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. band — a ring
  3. fine — high quality
  4. fine — all right
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. object — a thing
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. cap — of ice
  10. band — a music group
  11. cap — a lid
  12. stock — shares
  13. capital — money
  14. stock — goods
  15. object — an aim
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. capital — a city
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. cap — a hat
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. object — to protest

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