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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: capital · wake · charge · bore · pop · net · bear · stem

  1. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. charge — electricity
  3. bear — the animal
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. net — in sport
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. net — after costs
  8. wake — a trail
  9. bear — the animal
  10. net — for catching
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. bore — to drill
  13. charge — in control
  14. capital — a city
  15. bore — to tire
  16. charge — a price
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. pop — to visit
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. stem — to come from
  21. pop — soda
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. pop — music
  24. capital — money

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