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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: bowl · charge · clip · bank · present · rule · bat · capital

  1. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. present — the time now
  4. charge — in control
  5. bank — for money
  6. rule — government
  7. bat — the animal
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. capital — money
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. capital — a city
  13. rule — a law
  14. present — there
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. bank — of a river
  18. clip — for paper
  19. clip — to cut
  20. charge — a price
  21. charge — electricity
  22. bank — for money
  23. present — a gift
  24. rule — to rule out

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