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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: pitcher · spell · charge · capital · fan · bank · rock · mark

  1. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. spell — magic
  4. bank — for money
  5. charge — in control
  6. capital — money
  7. charge — a price
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. mark — a trace
  12. mark — a grade
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. rock — a stone
  15. spell — letters
  16. capital — a city
  17. charge — electricity
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. bank — for money
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. spell — a short time
  22. rock — music
  23. bank — of a river
  24. fan — a supporter

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