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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: stick · charge · pitcher · capital · plane · spring · board · object

  1. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. board — to get on
  3. object — to protest
  4. spring — the season
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. charge — a price
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. spring — of water
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. object — a thing
  12. object — an aim
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. plane — a tool
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. capital — money
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. spring — a coil
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. board — a committee
  23. capital — a city
  24. charge — electricity

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