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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: date · vault · suit · clip · charge · jam · wave · capital

  1. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. capital — a city
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. clip — to cut
  8. clip — for paper
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. vault — a safe
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. charge — a price
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. suit — clothes
  16. capital — money
  17. suit — in cards
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. charge — electricity
  20. suit — to fit
  21. clip — a video
  22. charge — in control
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. date — the fruit

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