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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 120 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: hide · cap · capital · perch · rule · charge

  1. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. perch — the fish
  3. charge — a price
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. cap — of ice
  6. charge — electricity
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. rule — a law
  9. capital — money
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. cap — a hat
  12. capital — a city
  13. charge — in control
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. cap — a lid
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. rule — government
  18. hide — to keep secret

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