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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · capital · fine · present · tear · chip · dip · track

  1. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. tear — to rip
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. present — there
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. chip — to eat
  7. dip — to sink
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. tear — from crying
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. tear — from crying
  12. stock — shares
  13. track — a song
  14. fine — high quality
  15. present — the time now
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. track — to keep track
  18. capital — money
  19. present — a gift
  20. track — a path
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. chip — for betting
  23. fine — all right
  24. capital — a city

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