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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: rock · craft · toast · kick · pit · hide · capital · stock

  1. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. toast — bread
  8. capital — a city
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. kick — in football
  11. rock — a stone
  12. pit — in a race
  13. pit — a hole
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. craft — a skill
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. rock — music
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. stock — shares
  20. craft — boats
  21. stock — goods
  22. capital — money
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. hide — to keep secret

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