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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: charge · rush · capital · stem · toast · mug · jam · chest

  1. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. stem — to come from
  3. mug — a cup
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. chest — of your body
  7. toast — bread
  8. charge — a price
  9. capital — money
  10. rush — hurry
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. mug — to rob
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. chest — of your body
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. charge — in control
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. charge — electricity
  22. chest — a box
  23. mug — a face
  24. capital — a city

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