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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: charge · club · firm · march · leaves · face · capital · row

  1. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  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. club — a group
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. face — to confront
  5. row — a line
  6. firm — steady
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. firm — decided
  9. row — to paddle
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. firm — a company
  12. club — for dancing
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. capital — money
  15. club — for golf
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. march — the month
  18. charge — a price
  19. face — to point toward
  20. march — the month
  21. march — music
  22. face — part of the head
  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