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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.

Words on the sheet
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: rock · capital · last · chest · charge · net · pass · craft

  1. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. craft — a skill
  4. charge — a price
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. net — in sport
  7. net — for catching
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. chest — of your body
  10. capital — a city
  11. pass — a permit
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. rock — a stone
  14. last — final
  15. net — after costs
  16. last — to go on
  17. charge — electricity
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. rock — music
  20. chest — a box
  21. capital — money
  22. last — finally
  23. craft — boats
  24. chest — of your body

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