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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 116 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. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. charge — in control
  4. cap — a lid
  5. craft — a skill
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. stem — to come from
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. cap — a hat
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. vault — a safe
  13. pitch — completely
  14. capital — money
  15. craft — boats
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. shower — rain
  18. cap — of ice
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. capital — a city
  23. charge — electricity
  24. shower — to wash

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