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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: toast · rest · coach · arm · capital · staff · stock · stick

  1. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. staff — a stick
  5. capital — money
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. capital — a city
  10. stock — goods
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. rest — a break
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. staff — employees
  15. staff — employees
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. rest — what's left
  18. stock — shares
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. rest — what's left
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. toast — bread

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