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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: firm · date · bulb · land · stock · hide · capital · bank

  1. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. land — a country
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. bulb — for light
  7. stock — goods
  8. firm — steady
  9. date — the fruit
  10. capital — a city
  11. bank — of a river
  12. bulb — for light
  13. stock — shares
  14. firm — decided
  15. land — ground
  16. bank — for money
  17. firm — a company
  18. capital — money
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. bank — for money
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. land — to come down
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. stock — a soup base

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