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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 120 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: stock · foot · ruler · nail · ball · capital · tube · fan

  1. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. capital — money
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. ball — a dance
  9. capital — a city
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. stock — shares
  15. ball — a great time
  16. stock — goods
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. foot — a measure
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. tube — the underground
  24. ruler — a monarch

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