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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: spring · dip · capital · spell · calf · pitch · charge · chair

  1. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. spring — the season
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. charge — a price
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. capital — money
  9. spell — a short time
  10. dip — to sink
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. pitch — completely
  13. spell — letters
  14. spring — of water
  15. capital — a city
  16. spring — a coil
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. charge — in control
  22. spell — magic
  23. charge — electricity
  24. chair — a leader

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