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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: mark · charge · band · bank · nail · club · capital · arm

  1. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. capital — a city
  3. band — a music group
  4. charge — a price
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. band — a ring
  8. charge — electricity
  9. capital — money
  10. club — for dancing
  11. club — for golf
  12. bank — of a river
  13. bank — for money
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. bank — for money
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. mark — a trace
  20. mark — a grade
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. charge — in control
  24. nail — for a hammer

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