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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 · date · calf · charge · rush · stock · wake · leaves

  1. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. capital — a city
  3. rush — hurry
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. date — the fruit
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. charge — electricity
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. capital — money
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. charge — in control
  19. stock — shares
  20. charge — a price
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. stock — goods
  23. wake — a trail
  24. leaves — 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