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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: spell · pop · stock · pass · field · straw · capital · object

  1. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. capital — money
  3. pop — to visit
  4. spell — a short time
  5. pass — a permit
  6. pop — soda
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. object — an aim
  9. stock — goods
  10. object — a thing
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. spell — magic
  14. pop — music
  15. field — for sport
  16. field — a subject
  17. capital — a city
  18. stock — shares
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. field — farmland
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. object — to protest
  23. spell — letters
  24. pass — to succeed

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