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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: march · fine · mug · spring · perch · charge · wave · capital

  1. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. fine — all right
  3. march — the month
  4. capital — a city
  5. fine — high quality
  6. charge — electricity
  7. charge — in control
  8. march — music
  9. spring — the season
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. capital — money
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. spring — of water
  16. perch — the fish
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. march — the month
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. mug — a cup
  21. mug — to rob
  22. spring — a coil
  23. charge — a price
  24. mug — a face

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