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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 · rest · suit · charge · bowl · wake · board · capital

  1. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. suit — in cards
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. rest — a break
  6. charge — in control
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. charge — electricity
  9. suit — clothes
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. snap — to click
  16. capital — money
  17. rest — what's left
  18. board — a committee
  19. charge — a price
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. wake — a trail
  22. rest — what's left
  23. board — to get on
  24. capital — a city

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