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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.

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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: stand · stem · squash · bass · wake · capital · tube · charge

  1. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. tube — the underground
  3. capital — money
  4. stem — to come from
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. squash — to crush
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. bass — low music
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. capital — a city
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. bass — the fish
  15. stand — to bear
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. wake — a trail
  19. charge — in control
  20. charge — electricity
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. tube — a container
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. squash — the sport

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