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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: can · charge · dip · stock · fork · capital · wake · lean

  1. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. can — a tin
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. wake — a trail
  5. stock — goods
  6. lean — to bend
  7. stock — shares
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. capital — a city
  10. capital — money
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. can — a tin
  14. can — to be able to
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. charge — in control
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. charge — electricity
  19. lean — thin
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. fork — in a road
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. dip — to sink
  24. charge — a price

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