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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 120 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: chair · capital · stem · leaves · club · charge

  1. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. stem — to come from
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. charge — in control
  6. capital — money
  7. club — a group
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. club — for golf
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. club — for dancing
  13. chair — a leader
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. capital — a city
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. charge — a price
  18. charge — electricity

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