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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: capital · cap · pit · charge · sharp · swing · nail · arm

  1. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. swing — to play on
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. capital — money
  7. capital — a city
  8. pit — a hole
  9. charge — electricity
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. charge — a price
  13. sharp — clever
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. charge — in control
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. cap — a lid
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. swing — in golf
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. cap — of ice
  23. swing — music
  24. pit — in a race

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