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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: capital · game · track · rest · spring · current · stem · charge

  1. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. rest — what's left
  3. charge — a price
  4. spring — the season
  5. game — wild animals
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. track — to keep track
  8. capital — a city
  9. capital — money
  10. game — a match
  11. charge — electricity
  12. charge — in control
  13. current — happening now
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. spring — a coil
  16. stem — to come from
  17. current — of water
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. track — a path
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. track — a song
  22. current — electric
  23. rest — a break
  24. spring — of water

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