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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: perch · stock · snap · mug · toast · staff · capital · kick

  1. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. staff — a stick
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. mug — to rob
  5. capital — a city
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. capital — money
  8. kick — in football
  9. perch — the fish
  10. stock — shares
  11. toast — bread
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. staff — employees
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. mug — a face
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. stock — goods
  22. staff — employees
  23. snap — to click
  24. perch — for a bird

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