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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.

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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: fork · track · charge · capital · clip · chip · pound · fan

  1. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. pound — a weight
  5. clip — for paper
  6. capital — a city
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. chip — for betting
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. fork — in a road
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. charge — in control
  13. track — a song
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. chip — to eat
  16. track — a path
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. clip — to cut
  19. track — to keep track
  20. clip — a video
  21. capital — money
  22. charge — a price
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. charge — electricity

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