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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: bass · cabinet · fork · rock · mouse · chair · charge · capital

  1. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. rock — a stone
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. capital — a city
  7. bass — the fish
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. rock — music
  13. capital — money
  14. fork — in a road
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. chair — a leader
  19. charge — in control
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. bass — low music
  22. charge — a price
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. fork — to eat with

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