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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 116 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: charge · capital · hand · perch · pitch · pop · can · wave

  1. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. charge — electricity
  3. pop — soda
  4. can — a tin
  5. charge — in control
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. perch — the fish
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. pitch — completely
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. can — a tin
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. can — to be able to
  15. charge — a price
  16. pop — to visit
  17. capital — a city
  18. pop — music
  19. hand — in cards
  20. hand — help
  21. capital — money
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. perch — for a bird

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