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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: charge · capital · mouse · last · staff · degree · date · key

  1. False peace will not ________________.
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. degree — an amount
  3. capital — a city
  4. staff — a stick
  5. last — finally
  6. degree — temperature
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. capital — money
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. staff — employees
  11. date — the fruit
  12. charge — electricity
  13. charge — in control
  14. key — the most important part
  15. key — in music
  16. staff — employees
  17. charge — a price
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. last — final
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. degree — from a university
  24. key — for a lock

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