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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: bay · lean · capital · mark · fine · stem · kick · stock

  1. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. stock — goods
  3. fine — high quality
  4. stock — shares
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. capital — money
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. capital — a city
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. lean — to bend
  14. mark — a grade
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. fine — all right
  17. kick — in football
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. lean — thin
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. stem — to come from

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