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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: deal · toast · charge · capital · cell · tube · mug · row

  1. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. mug — to rob
  3. charge — in control
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. row — a line
  6. toast — bread
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. mug — a face
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. charge — electricity
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. capital — a city
  14. charge — a price
  15. tube — the underground
  16. capital — money
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. cell — in biology
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. cell — a phone
  21. row — to paddle
  22. tube — a container
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. deal — to handle

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