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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: court · perch · firm · cap · bowl · capital · wound · charge

  1. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. capital — a city
  3. firm — steady
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. firm — decided
  6. capital — money
  7. charge — in control
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. wound — an injury
  10. cap — a lid
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. firm — a company
  13. charge — electricity
  14. charge — a price
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. wound — an injury
  17. cap — a hat
  18. court — for sport
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. perch — the fish
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. court — of a king
  23. court — of law
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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