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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: pass · fan · can · capital · pit · roll · clip · charge

  1. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. can — to be able to
  3. capital — a city
  4. pass — a permit
  5. roll — a cake
  6. charge — a price
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. can — a tin
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. can — a tin
  13. charge — in control
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. capital — money
  16. clip — for paper
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. clip — to cut
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. pit — in a race
  22. pit — a hole
  23. charge — electricity
  24. roll — a list

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