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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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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: kick · key · deal · capital · charge · date · roll · bay

  1. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a city
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. deal — to handle
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. charge — in control
  7. capital — money
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. kick — in football
  11. roll — a list
  12. key — the most important part
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. charge — a price
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. key — in music
  19. roll — a cake
  20. key — for a lock
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. charge — electricity
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. date — the fruit

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