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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: file · capital · ruler · charge · kick · present

  1. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. file — a document
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. charge — in control
  6. capital — money
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. charge — electricity
  11. file — a line of people
  12. present — the time now
  13. charge — a price
  14. present — a gift
  15. kick — in football
  16. present — there
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. 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