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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: capital · bass · rule · stock · foot · kick · bore · leaves

  1. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a city
  2. bass — low music
  3. stock — shares
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. bass — the fish
  8. rule — government
  9. bore — to drill
  10. kick — in football
  11. stock — goods
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. rule — a law
  14. foot — a measure
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. bore — to tire
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. capital — money
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. bass — the instrument

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