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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.

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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: key · stand · racket · march · band · capital · stock · hide

  1. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. capital — a city
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. band — a ring
  5. stock — shares
  6. key — for a lock
  7. march — music
  8. stock — goods
  9. band — a music group
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. key — the most important part
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. march — the month
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. capital — money
  18. march — the month
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. stand — to bear
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. key — in music
  24. hide — to keep secret

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