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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 116 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: bank · cabinet · tear · capital · ruler · bound · stock · stick

  1. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. bank — of a river
  4. bound — certain
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. tear — to rip
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. capital — a city
  12. tear — from crying
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. bound — tied together
  15. tear — from crying
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. stock — goods
  18. bound — obliged
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. bank — for money
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. bank — for money
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. stock — shares

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