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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 120 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: rule · stem · bank · capital · dip · perch · squash · charge

  1. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. squash — to crush
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. capital — a city
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. rule — a law
  7. charge — in control
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. bank — for money
  10. capital — money
  11. bank — for money
  12. perch — the fish
  13. dip — to sink
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. charge — electricity
  17. stem — to come from
  18. bank — of a river
  19. rule — government
  20. charge — a price
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. squash — the sport
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. perch — for a bird

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