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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: can · capital · fan · tube · charge · stem · pass · prune

  1. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. stem — to come from
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. can — a tin
  5. can — a tin
  6. tube — a container
  7. capital — money
  8. prune — to trim
  9. capital — a city
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. pass — a permit
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. charge — electricity
  17. charge — a price
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. charge — in control
  20. can — to be able to
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. tube — the underground
  23. prune — to trim
  24. stem — of a plant

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