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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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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: can · present · stock · suit · capital · bark · pitch · spell

  1. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. spell — magic
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. suit — in cards
  7. can — a tin
  8. present — there
  9. present — the time now
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. stock — shares
  12. suit — clothes
  13. can — a tin
  14. capital — money
  15. capital — a city
  16. pitch — completely
  17. stock — goods
  18. spell — letters
  19. can — to be able to
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. present — a gift
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. suit — to fit
  24. spell — a short 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