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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
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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: capital · straw · charge · drill · firm · roll · wound · chip

  1. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. capital — a city
  3. charge — in control
  4. drill — army training
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. firm — decided
  8. chip — to eat
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. drill — a practice
  11. charge — electricity
  12. drill — the tool
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. roll — a cake
  16. wound — an injury
  17. firm — steady
  18. capital — money
  19. wound — an injury
  20. firm — a company
  21. chip — for betting
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. charge — a price

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