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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
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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: march · capital · fork · staff · file · charge

  1. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. staff — employees
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. charge — electricity
  5. file — a line of people
  6. march — the month
  7. capital — money
  8. staff — employees
  9. charge — a price
  10. file — a document
  11. fork — in a road
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. file — a tool
  14. march — music
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. march — the month
  17. staff — a stick
  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