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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 120 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: rush · last · kick · march · suit · capital · lean · stock

  1. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. stock — shares
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. suit — to fit
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. last — to go on
  8. suit — clothes
  9. last — final
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. capital — money
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. suit — in cards
  14. march — music
  15. lean — to bend
  16. capital — a city
  17. kick — in football
  18. march — the month
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. rush — hurry
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. lean — thin
  23. last — finally
  24. stock — goods

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