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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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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: charge · stick · capital · root · deal · stand · wind · straw

  1. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. wind — moving air
  6. wind — moving air
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. root — of a word
  12. stand — to bear
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. capital — money
  18. capital — a city
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. charge — electricity
  21. deal — to handle
  22. root — the cause
  23. charge — in control
  24. charge — a price

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