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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 beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. can — a tin
  3. can — a tin
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. charge — in control
  7. stem — to come from
  8. stock — goods
  9. bulb — for light
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. charge — a price
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. charge — electricity
  18. capital — a city
  19. can — to be able to
  20. capital — money
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. kick — in football
  23. bulb — for light
  24. stock — shares

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