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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: wind · cabinet · capital · pass · stick · cap · game · charge

  1. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. game — wild animals
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. capital — a city
  5. charge — electricity
  6. cap — a lid
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. wind — moving air
  9. cap — a hat
  10. pass — a permit
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. cap — of ice
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. wind — moving air
  16. game — a match
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. capital — money
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. charge — a price
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. charge — in control
  24. pass — to spend time

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