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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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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: wax · capital · bank · stock · mug · kick · shower · chip

  1. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. stock — shares
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. capital — a city
  7. shower — rain
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. chip — to eat
  10. shower — to wash
  11. mug — to rob
  12. chip — for betting
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. bank — for money
  15. bank — for money
  16. kick — in football
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. mug — a cup
  20. mug — a face
  21. wax — to grow
  22. capital — money
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. bank — of a river

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