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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: chair · wave · track · leaves · fork · charge · capital · dip

  1. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a city
  2. dip — to sink
  3. charge — a price
  4. track — a song
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. capital — money
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. chair — a leader
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. fork — in a road
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. charge — in control
  22. track — to keep track
  23. charge — electricity
  24. track — a path

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