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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: file · club · capital · mate · charge · rest · snap · rush

  1. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  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. capital — a city
  3. charge — a price
  4. club — a group
  5. file — a document
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. club — for golf
  8. rest — what's left
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. snap — to click
  11. charge — in control
  12. mate — to breed
  13. rest — a break
  14. charge — electricity
  15. capital — money
  16. file — a line of people
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. mate — a friend
  19. rest — what's left
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. mate — a partner
  22. rush — hurry
  23. file — a tool
  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