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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: land · capital · rock · object · saw · stock · bound · racket

  1. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. object — an aim
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. capital — money
  6. rock — music
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. stock — shares
  9. bound — tied together
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. land — a country
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. rock — a stone
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. object — to protest
  16. saw — the tool
  17. bound — obliged
  18. land — ground
  19. bound — certain
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. capital — a city
  22. saw — the tool
  23. object — a thing
  24. land — to come down

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