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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 116 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: mouse · ball · dip · capital · spell · charge · fall · saw

  1. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. fall — the season
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. ball — a great time
  8. charge — a price
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. fall — to drop
  11. charge — electricity
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. ball — a dance
  14. spell — magic
  15. spell — letters
  16. spell — a short time
  17. saw — the tool
  18. charge — in control
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. capital — a city
  21. capital — money
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. dip — to sink
  24. fall — to drop

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