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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: net · season · stem · charge · cap · ruler · stand · can

  1. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. charge — electricity
  3. net — in sport
  4. net — for catching
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. can — a tin
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. stand — to bear
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. season — in sport
  12. stem — to come from
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. cap — a hat
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. can — a tin
  17. charge — in control
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. charge — a price
  21. net — after costs
  22. cap — a lid
  23. cap — of ice
  24. can — to be able to

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