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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: capital · ball · rock · pitcher · saw · clip · object · charge

  1. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. saw — the tool
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. ball — a dance
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. clip — a video
  7. object — a thing
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. object — to protest
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. capital — a city
  12. charge — in control
  13. clip — to cut
  14. rock — a stone
  15. ball — a great time
  16. charge — electricity
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. charge — a price
  19. object — an aim
  20. clip — for paper
  21. capital — money
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. rock — music

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