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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: ground · saw · charge · clip · rock · stand · capital · jam

  1. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — to cut
  2. ground — the earth
  3. charge — in control
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. saw — the tool
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. rock — a stone
  8. capital — a city
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. charge — a price
  11. ground — a position
  12. clip — for paper
  13. charge — electricity
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. capital — money
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. stand — to bear
  20. rock — music
  21. clip — a video
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. saw — the tool
  24. ground — crushed

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