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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: club · season · rock · chip · lean · current · charge · capital

  1. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. charge — in control
  3. capital — a city
  4. current — happening now
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. lean — to bend
  7. lean — thin
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. season — of the year
  10. season — in sport
  11. club — for golf
  12. club — for dancing
  13. capital — money
  14. chip — for betting
  15. rock — a stone
  16. charge — electricity
  17. current — of water
  18. club — a group
  19. current — electric
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. rock — music
  22. charge — a price
  23. chip — to eat
  24. rock — to move gently

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