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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: capital · stock · bear · nail · current · charge · rule · rush

  1. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. stock — shares
  3. bear — the animal
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. stock — goods
  6. charge — in control
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. capital — a city
  11. current — happening now
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. charge — a price
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. capital — money
  17. current — electric
  18. rule — a law
  19. rush — hurry
  20. rule — government
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. current — of water
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. bear — the animal

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