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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: charge · object · leaves · game · plane · clip · capital · ball

  1. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. capital — money
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. game — wild animals
  5. game — a match
  6. ball — a great time
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. object — to protest
  9. capital — a city
  10. charge — electricity
  11. clip — a video
  12. plane — a tool
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. ball — a dance
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. clip — to cut
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. object — a thing
  20. object — an aim
  21. charge — in control
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. charge — a price
  24. clip — for paper

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