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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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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: temple · capital · charge · file · present · fork · stem · stick

  1. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. capital — money
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. capital — a city
  6. present — there
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. present — a gift
  9. file — a document
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. present — the time now
  12. file — a tool
  13. charge — in control
  14. charge — a price
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. charge — electricity
  20. fork — in a road
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. file — a line of people

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