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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: mark · wind · charge · content · capital · chair · board · press

  1. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. press — newspapers
  4. charge — a price
  5. chair — a leader
  6. mark — a trace
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. content — happy
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. wind — moving air
  12. board — a committee
  13. mark — a grade
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. capital — money
  16. capital — a city
  17. content — the amount
  18. press — to push
  19. wind — moving air
  20. press — a publisher
  21. board — to get on
  22. charge — in control
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. chair — a professorship

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