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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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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: date · capital · pass · wind · bear · bay · stock · kick

  1. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. date — the fruit
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. wind — moving air
  5. bear — the animal
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. capital — a city
  8. capital — money
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. pass — a permit
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. stock — shares
  13. wind — moving air
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. kick — in football
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. stock — goods
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. bear — the animal
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. pass — to spend time

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