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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: sharp · capital · fine · stem · object · cabinet · charge · wake

  1. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. fine — high quality
  3. sharp — clever
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. charge — a price
  6. stem — to come from
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. object — an aim
  10. object — a thing
  11. charge — electricity
  12. fine — all right
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. capital — a city
  15. charge — in control
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. capital — money
  24. wake — a trail

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