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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: stock · present · last · bear · kick · safe · capital · stand

  1. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. capital — money
  3. last — to go on
  4. present — the time now
  5. kick — in football
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. present — a gift
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. capital — a city
  12. last — finally
  13. stock — goods
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. last — final
  16. present — there
  17. bear — the animal
  18. stock — shares
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. stand — to bear
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. bear — the animal
  24. stand — for spectators

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