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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: current · bowl · field · snap · spell · capital · charge · wax

  1. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. charge — electricity
  3. snap — to click
  4. wax — to grow
  5. field — for sport
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. field — farmland
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. current — of water
  10. capital — money
  11. current — happening now
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. spell — magic
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. capital — a city
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. spell — a short time
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. spell — letters
  21. charge — a price
  22. field — a subject
  23. current — electric
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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