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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. mark — a trace
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. charge — electricity
  8. capital — money
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. capital — a city
  12. stem — to come from
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. suit — in cards
  16. suit — to fit
  17. net — for catching
  18. charge — a price
  19. suit — clothes
  20. net — in sport
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. mark — a grade
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. net — after costs

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