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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 · file · fine · rest · club · nail · capital · cap

  1. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. file — a line of people
  3. file — a tool
  4. cap — a hat
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. club — for dancing
  7. cap — a lid
  8. fine — all right
  9. capital — a city
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. rest — what's left
  12. fine — high quality
  13. club — for golf
  14. stock — shares
  15. rest — what's left
  16. file — a document
  17. cap — of ice
  18. stock — goods
  19. rest — a break
  20. capital — money
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. club — a group

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