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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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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: dip · racket · rock · bank · cold · cell · charge · capital

  1. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. The water is too ________________.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. rock — a stone
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. capital — a city
  5. charge — in control
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. cold — the Cold War
  9. bank — for money
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. dip — to sink
  13. cold — not warm
  14. capital — money
  15. rock — music
  16. bank — of a river
  17. bank — for money
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. cold — an illness
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. charge — electricity
  23. charge — a price
  24. cell — in biology

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