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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 116 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: stick · charge · ground · capital · net · tube

  1. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. capital — money
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. net — for catching
  7. charge — a price
  8. capital — a city
  9. tube — the underground
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. net — in sport
  13. ground — a position
  14. ground — crushed
  15. charge — electricity
  16. tube — a container
  17. charge — in control
  18. ground — the earth

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