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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: fork · prune · row · charge · stem · capital · leaves · stand

  1. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a city
  2. row — to paddle
  3. charge — in control
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. charge — electricity
  7. stand — to bear
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. prune — to trim
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. stem — to come from
  13. capital — money
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. charge — a price
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. fork — in a road
  22. row — a line
  23. prune — to trim
  24. stand — on your feet

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