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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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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: capital · chair · mark · stock · hide · racket · charge · ruler

  1. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. stock — shares
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. stock — goods
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. capital — money
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. capital — a city
  13. charge — in control
  14. mark — a trace
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. chair — a leader
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. charge — electricity
  22. charge — a price
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. mark — a grade

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