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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: land · date · cabinet · capital · arm · ball · bore · charge

  1. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. date — the fruit
  5. ball — a dance
  6. charge — electricity
  7. ball — a great time
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. bore — to drill
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. charge — a price
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. land — to come down
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. bore — to tire
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. capital — a city
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. land — ground
  23. charge — in control
  24. land — a country

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