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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 120 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: snap · bat · capital · safe · leaves · pitcher · charge · can

  1. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. snap — to click
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. capital — a city
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. charge — in control
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. charge — electricity
  14. capital — money
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. can — to be able to
  21. bat — the animal
  22. can — a tin
  23. can — a tin
  24. bat — for baseball

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