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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: rule · file · bound · capital · chip · charge · wax · root

  1. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. charge — in control
  3. root — of a plant
  4. capital — money
  5. file — a document
  6. bound — certain
  7. root — of a word
  8. rule — a law
  9. chip — for betting
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. charge — a price
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. chip — to eat
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. rule — government
  16. charge — electricity
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. file — a line of people
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. bound — tied together
  21. wax — to grow
  22. capital — a city
  23. root — the cause
  24. bound — obliged

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