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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: stock · capital · present · dip · mouse · prune · staff · suit

  1. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. capital — a city
  3. capital — money
  4. suit — to fit
  5. dip — to sink
  6. prune — to trim
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. prune — to trim
  9. present — a gift
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. staff — a stick
  12. present — the time now
  13. stock — goods
  14. staff — employees
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. present — there
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. suit — in cards
  22. stock — shares
  23. suit — clothes
  24. mouse — the animal

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