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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: ground · charge · bank · pop · capital · key · mark · ball

  1. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. capital — money
  3. ground — a position
  4. bank — of a river
  5. ball — a dance
  6. pop — to visit
  7. ground — crushed
  8. key — the most important part
  9. pop — soda
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. mark — a trace
  12. charge — a price
  13. charge — electricity
  14. ground — the earth
  15. charge — in control
  16. key — for a lock
  17. pop — music
  18. bank — for money
  19. capital — a city
  20. key — in music
  21. ball — a great time
  22. bank — for money
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. mark — a grade

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