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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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468
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: rock · stock · cap · capital · bulb · racket · object · fine

  1. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. capital — money
  3. object — a thing
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. stock — shares
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. rock — a stone
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. cap — a lid
  10. fine — high quality
  11. capital — a city
  12. object — to protest
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. cap — a hat
  16. object — an aim
  17. fine — all right
  18. bulb — for light
  19. stock — goods
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. rock — music
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. cap — of ice

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