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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. cap — a hat
  4. roll — a list
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. charge — in control
  7. pop — soda
  8. charge — electricity
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. capital — money
  11. firm — steady
  12. band — a ring
  13. firm — a company
  14. firm — decided
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. band — a music group
  17. capital — a city
  18. pop — music
  19. charge — a price
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. roll — a cake
  22. wake — a trail
  23. cap — of ice
  24. cap — a lid

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