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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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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: bear · season · stand · capital · cabinet · charge · prune · mark

  1. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. mark — a grade
  3. prune — to trim
  4. prune — to trim
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. charge — in control
  8. bear — the animal
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. season — in sport
  12. capital — a city
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. season — of the year
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. bear — the animal
  18. capital — money
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. stand — to bear
  21. charge — a price
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. 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