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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.

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: bound · bay · stand · capital · stock · cap · face · craft

  1. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. bound — certain
  4. cap — a hat
  5. face — part of the head
  6. bound — tied together
  7. craft — boats
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. stock — goods
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. craft — a skill
  12. capital — money
  13. face — to confront
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. capital — a city
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. cap — a lid
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. cap — of ice
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. bound — obliged
  23. stand — to bear
  24. face — to point toward

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