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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.

Words on the sheet
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: nail · capital · content · wake · stick · stock · band · cabinet

  1. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. wake — a trail
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. stock — shares
  6. band — a music group
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. content — happy
  9. capital — a city
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. stock — goods
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. band — a ring
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. content — the amount
  24. capital — money

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