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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: bank · pitch · stock · cell · root · roll · capital · charge

  1. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. capital — a city
  4. pitch — completely
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. roll — a list
  7. bank — for money
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. bank — for money
  10. bank — of a river
  11. charge — electricity
  12. cell — a phone
  13. charge — a price
  14. root — of a word
  15. charge — in control
  16. root — of a plant
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. roll — a cake
  19. capital — money
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. stock — shares
  23. stock — goods
  24. root — the cause

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