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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: capital · cue · charge · season · drill · kid · dip · key

  1. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. charge — in control
  3. cue — a signal
  4. capital — money
  5. key — in music
  6. cue — for pool
  7. cue — a hint
  8. capital — a city
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. kid — child
  12. key — the most important part
  13. key — for a lock
  14. kid — to tease
  15. season — in sport
  16. drill — the tool
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. charge — electricity
  19. drill — army training
  20. dip — to sink
  21. charge — a price
  22. season — of the year
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. drill — a practice

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