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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: saw · hide · mug · stock · staff · capital · coach · prune

  1. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  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. capital — a city
  2. stock — shares
  3. prune — to trim
  4. mug — to rob
  5. staff — employees
  6. mug — a cup
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. staff — a stick
  9. stock — goods
  10. saw — the tool
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. capital — money
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. prune — to trim
  19. saw — the tool
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. mug — a face
  23. staff — employees
  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