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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.

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: capital · rush · stock · perch · ground · stick · mark · racket

  1. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. stock — shares
  9. ground — crushed
  10. ground — the earth
  11. capital — a city
  12. ground — a position
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. mark — a trace
  15. stock — goods
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. mark — a grade
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. perch — the fish
  23. capital — money
  24. rush — hurry

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