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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: charge · mark · toast · mouse · can · capital

  1. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. charge — in control
  3. mark — a grade
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. can — a tin
  6. charge — electricity
  7. can — to be able to
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. capital — a city
  12. can — a tin
  13. charge — a price
  14. toast — bread
  15. mark — a trace
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. capital — money
  18. toast — the most admired

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