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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 120 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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: lie · charge · staff · racket · bark · capital · stock · chest

  1. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. chest — of your body
  4. staff — employees
  5. capital — a city
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. lie — to recline
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. charge — a price
  11. stock — goods
  12. bark — to shout
  13. chest — of your body
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. staff — a stick
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. stock — shares
  20. charge — electricity
  21. charge — in control
  22. staff — employees
  23. capital — money
  24. bark — of a tree

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