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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: game · bank · suit · charge · wake · cap · net · stem

  1. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. suit — to fit
  5. net — in sport
  6. cap — of ice
  7. charge — electricity
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. stem — to come from
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. bank — for money
  12. charge — a price
  13. bank — for money
  14. suit — clothes
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. game — wild animals
  17. game — a match
  18. net — after costs
  19. bank — of a river
  20. suit — in cards
  21. cap — a lid
  22. charge — in control
  23. wake — a trail
  24. net — for catching

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