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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: rest · spring · capital · last · charge · chip · foot · roll

  1. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. last — final
  3. spring — a coil
  4. capital — a city
  5. chip — for betting
  6. last — finally
  7. roll — a list
  8. foot — a measure
  9. rest — what's left
  10. chip — to eat
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. capital — money
  13. spring — the season
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. charge — in control
  18. rest — a break
  19. spring — of water
  20. rest — what's left
  21. roll — a cake
  22. charge — electricity
  23. charge — a price
  24. last — to go on

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