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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: hide · rest · capital · chip · ground · prune · charge · stand

  1. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. chip — for betting
  5. prune — to trim
  6. ground — the earth
  7. charge — a price
  8. chip — to eat
  9. capital — a city
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. capital — money
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. prune — to trim
  16. ground — a position
  17. rest — a break
  18. ground — crushed
  19. rest — what's left
  20. stand — to bear
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. rest — what's left
  23. charge — electricity
  24. charge — in control

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