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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 124 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: foot · rash · cold · capital · club · snap · plane · charge

  1. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. The water is too ________________.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. rash — hasty
  4. capital — money
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. cold — not warm
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. rash — a series
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. club — a group
  11. club — for golf
  12. charge — a price
  13. charge — electricity
  14. foot — a measure
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. capital — a city
  17. plane — a tool
  18. charge — in control
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. cold — an illness
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. snap — to click
  23. cold — the Cold War
  24. club — for dancing

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