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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: fork · club · capital · bore · chair · fine · stock · deal

  1. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. bore — to drill
  4. bore — to tire
  5. fine — all right
  6. stock — shares
  7. fork — in a road
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. club — for dancing
  11. stock — goods
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. club — for golf
  15. capital — a city
  16. club — a group
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. chair — a leader
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. deal — to handle
  23. fine — high quality
  24. bore — gave birth

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