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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: safe · fork · swing · charge · capital · roll · cue · rock

  1. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. charge — electricity
  5. swing — music
  6. cue — a hint
  7. rock — a stone
  8. capital — money
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. swing — in golf
  11. rock — music
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. cue — for pool
  15. capital — a city
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. cue — a signal
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. roll — a list
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. swing — to play on
  22. roll — a cake
  23. fork — in a road
  24. charge — in control

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