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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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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: deal · capital · pound · charge · pitcher · sharp · lash · chair

  1. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. capital — money
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. charge — electricity
  8. pound — a weight
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. deal — to handle
  14. capital — a city
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. chair — a leader
  17. charge — in control
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. sharp — clever
  23. charge — a price
  24. capital — a big letter

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