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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: deal · stick · arm · capital · lean · vault · stock · fall

  1. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a city
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. stock — shares
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. capital — money
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. deal — to handle
  8. lean — thin
  9. fall — the season
  10. vault — a safe
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. stock — goods
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. fall — to drop
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. lean — to bend
  24. fall — to drop

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