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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 · board · squash · track · capital · can · foot · clip

  1. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. clip — to cut
  3. can — a tin
  4. track — a path
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. can — a tin
  7. charge — in control
  8. board — a committee
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. track — a song
  11. board — to get on
  12. clip — for paper
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. clip — a video
  15. capital — a city
  16. track — to keep track
  17. can — to be able to
  18. foot — a measure
  19. charge — a price
  20. squash — to crush
  21. charge — electricity
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. capital — money
  24. capital — a big letter

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