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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.

Make a worksheet

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: cabinet · content · charge · wake · capital · root · court · march

  1. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. court — for sport
  3. capital — money
  4. root — the cause
  5. capital — a city
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. charge — electricity
  8. march — music
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. court — of law
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. march — the month
  13. march — the month
  14. wake — a trail
  15. charge — a price
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. root — of a plant
  18. charge — in control
  19. content — happy
  20. court — of a king
  21. root — of a word
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. content — videos and posts

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