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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.

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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 · prune · bay · stand · march · charge · stock · rush

  1. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. march — the month
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. rush — hurry
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. capital — money
  8. prune — to trim
  9. march — the month
  10. march — music
  11. stand — to bear
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. stock — shares
  14. prune — to trim
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. charge — electricity
  17. charge — in control
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. capital — a city
  21. charge — a price
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. stock — goods

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