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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: mine · capital · content · charge · rock · pop · bulb · saw

  1. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. mine — for digging
  4. charge — a price
  5. pop — music
  6. content — happy
  7. rock — music
  8. saw — the tool
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. pop — to visit
  11. rock — a stone
  12. capital — a city
  13. capital — money
  14. pop — soda
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. saw — the tool
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. bulb — for light
  22. content — the amount
  23. charge — electricity
  24. bulb — for light

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