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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: charge · craft · root · firm · club · capital · arm · band

  1. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. root — of a plant
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. capital — money
  6. craft — a skill
  7. club — for golf
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. firm — decided
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. capital — a city
  12. charge — a price
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. band — a music group
  15. charge — in control
  16. firm — steady
  17. root — of a word
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. root — the cause
  20. firm — a company
  21. craft — boats
  22. club — for dancing
  23. club — a group
  24. band — a ring

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