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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: swing · chip · bay · cap · wake · net · charge · stem

  1. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. cap — of ice
  3. cap — a hat
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. net — in sport
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. charge — electricity
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. charge — a price
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. net — after costs
  15. swing — in golf
  16. chip — to eat
  17. stem — to come from
  18. swing — to play on
  19. chip — for betting
  20. net — for catching
  21. swing — music
  22. cap — a lid
  23. charge — in control
  24. wake — before a funeral

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