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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: can · game · deal · capital · bat · stock · suit · degree

  1. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a city
  2. capital — money
  3. deal — to handle
  4. bat — the animal
  5. stock — shares
  6. suit — to fit
  7. suit — clothes
  8. stock — goods
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. degree — an amount
  11. can — a tin
  12. game — wild animals
  13. game — a match
  14. degree — from a university
  15. can — to be able to
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. degree — temperature
  21. can — a tin
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. suit — in cards
  24. game — a kind of play

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