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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: staff · can · bank · charge · capital · fall · spring · current

  1. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. bank — of a river
  3. staff — employees
  4. current — electric
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. can — a tin
  7. capital — money
  8. spring — of water
  9. current — happening now
  10. current — of water
  11. fall — to drop
  12. fall — to drop
  13. can — to be able to
  14. staff — a stick
  15. charge — electricity
  16. can — a tin
  17. bank — for money
  18. spring — the season
  19. fall — the season
  20. capital — a city
  21. charge — a price
  22. staff — employees
  23. bank — for money
  24. spring — a coil

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