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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: stock · can · date · hand · capital · wake · bore · rock

  1. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. stock — shares
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. can — a tin
  5. bore — to tire
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. capital — a city
  8. rock — a stone
  9. hand — in cards
  10. date — the fruit
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. can — to be able to
  13. capital — money
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. wake — a trail
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. stock — goods
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. hand — help
  23. rock — music
  24. can — a tin

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