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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: race · pit · arm · root · mug · stock · leaves · capital

  1. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. stock — goods
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. capital — a city
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. root — of a word
  10. race — a contest
  11. root — of a plant
  12. pit — in a race
  13. race — the arms race
  14. mug — a face
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. race — humankind
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. root — the cause
  20. stock — shares
  21. mug — to rob
  22. mug — a cup
  23. capital — money
  24. pit — a hole

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