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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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468
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: charge · mouse · capital · dip · rock · rest · chip · branch

  1. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. rock — a stone
  5. charge — a price
  6. rest — what's left
  7. rest — a break
  8. dip — to sink
  9. branch — a division
  10. capital — a city
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. chip — to eat
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. chip — for betting
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. charge — electricity
  18. capital — money
  19. rest — what's left
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. charge — in control
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. rock — music

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