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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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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: tear · mark · stock · toast · racket · leaves · capital · kick

  1. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. capital — money
  5. tear — from crying
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. kick — in football
  8. mark — a grade
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. mark — a trace
  13. capital — a city
  14. toast — bread
  15. tear — from crying
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. tear — to rip
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. stock — shares

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