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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: wave · mug · ruler · capital · stock · trunk · coach · season

  1. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. season — of the year
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. mug — a face
  12. season — in sport
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. capital — a city
  17. capital — money
  18. mug — to rob
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. stock — shares
  22. stock — goods
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. trunk — of a tree

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