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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: can · bound · fork · charge · rest · capital · board · stock

  1. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. can — to be able to
  4. rest — what's left
  5. charge — in control
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. bound — tied together
  8. charge — electricity
  9. stock — shares
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. rest — what's left
  12. can — a tin
  13. fork — in a road
  14. bound — obliged
  15. stock — goods
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. can — a tin
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. board — a committee
  20. rest — a break
  21. capital — money
  22. bound — certain
  23. board — to get on
  24. capital — a city

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