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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: row · wave · craft · nail · press · capital · coach · stock

  1. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. row — to paddle
  3. stock — shares
  4. press — to push
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. press — newspapers
  7. craft — a skill
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. capital — a city
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. press — a publisher
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. capital — money
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. stock — goods
  20. row — a line
  21. craft — boats
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. row — a quarrel

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