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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 120 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: hand · rash · present · capital · charge · deal · mug · land

  1. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  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. present — there
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. hand — in cards
  4. deal — to handle
  5. land — a country
  6. charge — electricity
  7. rash — a series
  8. hand — help
  9. land — ground
  10. capital — money
  11. land — to come down
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. present — the time now
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. mug — a cup
  16. present — a gift
  17. charge — a price
  18. capital — a city
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. charge — in control
  21. mug — to rob
  22. rash — hasty
  23. rash — on the skin
  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