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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: arm · can · capital · charge · press · fine · bore · drill

  1. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. press — a publisher
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. drill — army training
  5. press — newspapers
  6. press — to push
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. capital — a city
  9. drill — the tool
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. charge — a price
  12. can — to be able to
  13. fine — all right
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. fine — high quality
  16. can — a tin
  17. bore — to drill
  18. drill — a practice
  19. charge — in control
  20. charge — electricity
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. can — a tin
  23. bore — to tire
  24. capital — money

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